I'll show you love
by Moira.Shipper
Summary: AU with mutant powers, during the WW2. The paths of Moira MacTaggert, a volunteer nurse of 18 years and Charles Xavier, a 26 military and PhD in mutation, are crossed at Oxford. Choira.
1. Chapter 1

**Author:** MoiraShipper

 **Summary:** AU with mutant powers, during the 2WW. The paths of Moira MacTaggert, a 18 years old volunteer nurse and Charles Xavier, a 26 years old soldier and PhD in mutation cross at Oxford.

 **Shameless inspired in Twilight, The Notebook, Attonement and, of course, Choira. The fault is all mine XD**

 **I'll show you love**

 **Chapter 1**

 _I was thinkin about her, thinkin about me_

 _Thinkin about us, what we gonna be?_

 _Open my eyes, yeah_

 _It was only just a dream_

 **Just a dream-Nelly**

 _July 15, 1940_

Charles Xavier and Erik Lenhsherr had came to Oxford a few days ago, as soon as England had been involved in the 2WW. Erik was there, for obvious reasons. The mysterious and attractive man, who had been born Jewish and had lost his parents, had enlisted in the Army to fight against Hitler and Shawn, after escaping from the last and now, had been using forged documents saying that he was American.

But the handsome young man with wavy hair and blue eyes, was British, although he'd spent most part of his childhood and adult life in the United States, where he'd grown up with his younger sister, Raven. Although being a brilliant professor, with a newly PhD, with the war reaching his country, many men had been summoned to enlist and although Charles hated violence, for him, it didn't solve anything, only hurt people, he hadn't had much choice and needed to fight for his country.

On that sunny afternoon, the two soldiers tenants had the day off and so Erik had chosen to stay in their camp, reading, while Charles had decided to go to downtown, to see what had changed.

Despite the climate of war, the streets, patrolled by US and British soldiers, were full of students enjoying the vacations and couples, looking at the windows' shops or going to the park. Some women passed by Charles, smiling to him, attracted both by his handsome face as by his uniform. Although Charles would smile at them and even blink, he had been already used to all this attention and it didn't help that he also could read their minds, knowing that none of them wanted something serious.

And that was the secret that the two soldier friends shared, they were mutants, tenants from one of the rescue group in the army, where Charles was the leader, under the command of his captain, Carlisle. While Erik, who called himself Magneto, could control any kind of metal, Charles could read and manipulate people's minds. Not only Charles was a mutant, but his half sister who had been adopted, was too, one of the reasons that had led him to study mutation and become quite famous in that search field. But he and Eric knew they shouldn't expose their powers, because people wouldn't understand and although Erik was against it, despising humans for what had happened to his family, had agreed, because at that moment, all he wanted was to win the war and defeat Hitler and Shawn.

Charles was lost in thought, when he saw her for the first time from across the sidewalk. In a simple white dress that fell to her knees, with short sleeves, auburn hair over her shoulders and chocolate eyes. The beautiful young woman seemed hurried, as she waited for the traffic light to change and then she crossed the crosswalk, walking fast, her hair hitting lightly her face.

Her eyes met Charles' for a moment, widening a little at the handsome man and Charles, raising two fingers to his temple, noticed something curious. He couldn't read her mind.

But quickly, he noticed a car that had ignored the traffic light, the driver probably drunk, and would hit the woman. Charles, running, pulled her by the arm, pulling her out of the way in time, but the two lost balance, falling to the ground on the sidewalk.

One of Charles' hands continued to hold her by the arm, while the other was around her waist tightly. Charles had fallen with the brunette over him, between his legs, her head on his chest. Many people stopped to see if they were alright after the driver had escape, but neither cared because the two seemed petrified as they stared at each other. Charles couldn't help but smile slightly, despite his concern, seeing her beauty and the sweetness in her chocolate eyes.

The brunette, who had raised her head from the man's chest, had her face flushed and her eyes widened slightly as she stared at the bluest eyes she had ever seen, which seemed to hypnotize and calm her. Quickly her eyes lowered to his face, admiring his beauty and expression of concern and then to what he was wearing, seeing that he was military.

Two men helped the two to stand up breaking the moment, first pulling the brunette by the arms carefully and then extending a hand to Charles, who then put a hand over her shoulder, gently asking:

"Are you okay?" She gave him a small smile, tumbling her head slightly, noting that he had a British accent.

"I am. Thank you...?"

"Charles. Charles Xavier."

"I am Moira MacTaggert." Charles smiled when then his eyes dropped to her knee that was bleeding and he said concerned:

"Moira, you're hurt, we should go to the hospital to check it."

"You don't need to go with me, but thank you anyway." Moira replied, giggling lightly with a twinkle in her eye, as if she was sharing a secret. "I work there."

Surprised because she looked too young, he asked interested:

"You are a nurse?"

"No. In fact, I've just finished high school. I'm working as a volunteer nurse at the British Army hospital, I wanted to somehow help our soldiers." She revealed, surprised with herself for telling him that, but he gave her a certain aura of warmth and kindness that she had never felt before with any man.

Charles, delighted with her dedication and transparency, stared at her chocolates eyes, feeling a chill as he said, keeping a hand on her shoulder, feeling the strands of hair brush against his hand:

"But I insist on accompanying you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 _It's growing faster than you've grown_

 _Now you're stronger than yourself_

 _I'm fighting for you_

 _I'm hiding for you_

 _But it's killing me to love you_

 **Killing me to love you-Vancouver Sleep Clinic**

Charles fulfilled his promise and accompanied Moira to the military hospital that was close to his base. At the hospital, the doctor who was working that day, led both to one of the beds to be able to clean the wound, even though the woman had protested, saying she could do it herself.

While waiting for the nurse, who was treating one of the soldiers that was close to where they were, Moira stared at Charles, seeing the painful look he had on his face as he ran his eyes over the beds, seeing many soldiers with injuries with different degrees, from gunshots to burns and amputations.

Moira still couldn't believe that Charles had left aside his day off to take her to the hospital because of a simple cut on her knee, but there was something genuinely good in him and she couldn't help but notice the way he was looking at the soldiers, while resting a hand over her good knee, sitting in a chair next to her bed.

"Charles, why did you join the army?" She asked gently, placing a hand over his that was over her knee to draw his attention to her and at the same time to remove his pained expression. "I know it was mandatory, but you could have chosen to be work at a trainer center or work in the tactical field."

"Why do you say that?" Charles asked, diverting his attention from the beds and stared at her frowning, but squeezing her hand in return.

After a few seconds, with their hands joined together, Moira withdrew her hand gently while moistening her lips. She wanted to have prolonged the touch, Charles was so affectionate, but she knew it wouldn't be right.

"I'm sorry." He said sincere, referring to their hands, but she shook her head, dismissing the apology with a small smile.

"It's ok."

Charles seemed disappointed that she had withdrawn her hand, but didn't want to scare her, Moira seemed someone very special, different from women who had gone to college with him, and if by chance he had the opportunity to get to know her better, he wanted to treat her the way she deserved.

"The way you look at the soldiers. Although war is something always sad, there is a great sadness in your eyes that goes beyond that, seeing these soldiers seem to cause you pain." She replied softly, staring at his blue eyes and Charles was surprised. Moira might not be a telepath, as far as he knew, but she could read the emotions of people like a pro and her concern and genuine curiosity caused him to answer her:

"In fact, I hate wars, they only serve to hurt those we love and it doesn't take us anywhere. The reason I've joined the army that was coming to England, was not only so that I could be in the place where I was born, but because I would be joining the rescue group that search for soldiers left behind." As Charles told her the story, a nurse came with the materials to clean the wound.

Moira's eyes were shining, but not because of the burning of the alcohol on her injury, but because of Charles' words, sad but without any selfishness. Decidedly, she had never met anyone like him. He was rare.

"This makes me feel better to know that on many occasions, I can keep them alive and return them to their loved ones."

"Oh Charles." She said gently, giving him a smile that melted his heart. "Good Shepherd."

"Good shepherd?" He asked curiously and she nodded.

"Who doesn't give up on the lost and injured ones. Charles, what you're doing makes you ten times more man than many who signed up to the war and are only there for their desire to pull a trigger. It's beautiful..."

"Thank you, Moira." No one had ever described him like that, and Charles had liked the name, giving Moira a beautiful smile, feeling touched.

When the nurse finished treating her knee and left them alone, Charles laid a hand gently over the dressing, stroking the spot and thinking that if he hadn't seen her on the street, the driver would have hit her, and just the thought made him close his other hand in fist, and Moira felt her body flush at his touch, while a small shiver went through her body, making her tremble slightly.

"Does it hurt?" He asked curious and worried, looking at her and she denied, smiling and rolling her eyes at him.

"No. We didn't need to come here just to make a dressing."

"It could become infected and you'd end up in pain and with a huge scar." He said, still stroking her knee, running his thumb in a circular motion, making her blush more as he stared at her chocolate eyes.

"Would I look so bad with a scar on my knee?" She teased him and he denied, getting serious.

"Never, Moira."

Until some time ago, he'd dreamed of finding a woman who'd want him for who he was, but mostly women just went to him for his beauty or money, and he'd just flirt with these beautiful women to fulfill his desire of a female company, but Moira was far beyond that, and it had taken him only an hour with her to realize that she was the woman he had been looking for, and though he was pensively about their age difference, she was very young, he could see how mature she was, looking older.

"You could be covered with scars that it wouldn't matter, every men would still want to be with you and be lucky to be chosen by you. You'd still be beautiful inside and outside, in addition to being a transparent and dedicated person. A nurse..."

Charles' words had left Moira even more flushed, but he wasn't going to take back his words, because they were true.

"You think too highly of me, Charles..." She mumbled and he smiled as he released her knee reluctant because he knew he had kept his hand over it for too long to be considered appropriate.

"And I haven't even said anything about your hair yet..."

"What? What about my hair?" Moira asked in a mix of curiosity and suspicion while staring at him, squinting slightly and Charles laughed.

"This auburn color. Did you know that the red and auburn hairs are mutations? And I can say that this is a very beautiful mutation..."

Moira couldn't help and laughed, covering her mouth with her hand, before asking curiously:

"How do you know these things about mutation?"

One of the things Moira wanted to do after school, was to attend to the college and study genetics, but her father had refused, saying that women after graduating at High School should worry about marriage. That was one of the things that had caused a great discussion between them, because Moira wanted to do more with her life.

She had been researching the topic and even heard about a young professor who had been studying about genetic mutation and the X-gene, but she still didn't know who he was.

"Well, it's because I-"

But Charles was interrupted when a young man, probably around Moira's age entered the infirmary, looking very angry to see the soldier and professor, as he walked toward them.

"Moira, Josh said you got hurt and a soldier brought you here." The boy had black hair and gray and cold eyes and didn't seem genuinely concerned about her, only possessive.

Stooping at the bed, he raised his hands to Moira's face, bringing her to him and kissed her until she broke the kiss, frowning while putting some distant between them and Charles felt his heart sink, not only to see that she had someone, but because the boy with her didn't seem to know how to treat a woman, making him feel a slight irritation, something rare for him.

"Joe, this is Charles Xavier. It was him who helped me. Charles, this is Joe, my boyfriend."

"It's a pleasure." Charles said politely, holding out his hand and Joe squeezed it, after Moira had cast him an angry look, and then Joe turned to Moira, helping her to her feet.

"C'mon baby, your father is asking for you."

"Thank you, Charles." Moira said sincerely, looking at him and Charles gave her a small smile, holding out his hand and she squeezed it, lingering a bit and Charles stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and she gave him a light grip, ignoring the look from Joe, who didn't seem to like it.

"It was nothing, Moira, just be careful with the crazy drivers, ok?"

Despite the disappointment to find out that she had someone, something told him that he and Moira would still meet and, while he was in Oxford, involved in the war, he would be watching and guarantying her safety.

"Right. See you around." Moira gave him one last smile, wishing they could meet again and talk more, and Charles raised his hand to his forehead, giving her a nod.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _All you never say is that you love me so_

 _All I'll never know is of you want me oh_

 _If only I could look into your mind_

 _Maybe then I'd find a sign_

 _Of all I want to hear you say to me_

 _To me_

 **All you never say-Birdy**

Three days after her meeting with Charles Xavier, it was night and Moira was in the hospital with her best friend Kayla Silverfox, who'd studied in high school with her, and other two volunteers ans two nsurses, both wearing the white dress and the hat over their tied hair, watching in the small and black and white TV the Germany's bomb attacks on a road which wasn't too far from a city near Oxford and Moira couldn't help but feel apprehensive because it seemed that the attacks were coming slowly to where they were.

"Hey, who's the nurse working this night?" A hoarse and wild voice asked and Moira diverted her attention from the television to see the newcomer.

"I am and-Charles!"

Two men entered the infirmary, each on one side of Charles, helping him to walk. In his left leg, there was a very nasty cut, Moira didn't know how deep it was, but it was bleeding and despite his pale face, trying not to wince, the man's blue eyes lit up when he saw Moira.

"Good night Moira, and I'm sorry for disturbing you..."

"Don't joke about this, Charles..." She mumbled as she shook her head, rushing to see an available bed.

One of the men, the one that had called the nurse, was wearing a white and glued tank top and army pants and he was huge and muscular, with brown hair and side-whiskers, looking annoyed. The second, brunette and mysterious, also dressed in the army uniform, seemed worried about his friend while helping to lay him in the bed while Moira prepared the materials.

"Guys, you can't stay here." Kayla said, approaching the muscular man who turned to her, looking angry.

But when Logan's eyes met hers, it looked like his world had frozen and there was only that lovely brunette there. Kayla raised an eyebrow, though she'd felt the same as him, then she opened a small smile and he sighed, crossing his arms when Kayla noticed a cut on his arm and touched him, causing the man to freeze, before relaxing, realizing how much her touch made him feel good.

"I'm nurse Silverfox. You want me to take a look at this cut?" She asked, but he denied.

"No need." She then noticed that there was nothing on his arm now and she looked at him curiously before he mumble something about needing to have a drink and she followed him to the door.

The mysterious man looked at Moira seriously and said, in a tone that Moira couldn't identify whether it was a threat or supplication:

"Take care of him, understood nurse...?"

"Erik..." Charles warned his friend.

"MacTaggert. And you can leave it to me." Moira assured him, staring at him for a second, unblinking, before turning to Charles, while Kayla, who was at the door with Logan, turned to Erik, saying calmly:

"Your friend is in good hands."

"What happened to you, Charles?" Moira asked, keeping a professional tone, but her concern escaped and then she gripped his hand for a moment, her chocolate eyes meeting Charles' and he returned the grip, giving her a smile, before she released his hand to pick up a pair of scissors and cut his military pants, to have a better look at his injury.

"We were returning from a patrol outside the town, when we found a faint Nazi. As I approached to check his pulse, he rolled over and cut me with a knife. "

With all the care in the world, she ran her gloved fingers over his leg, seeing that the bleeding had diminished and that the cut hadn't hit any artery, which was good and Moira sighed in relief.

"My God, Charles, if the cut had been higher, it would have been more serious. But I need to call the doctor to do the stitch."

Gently, she wet the gauze with solution and began to clean the wound. Charles clenched his hands on the sheet, gritting his teeth due the burning sensation. The cut, though not very deep, was painful, as the stitch Dr. Hoffman was doing and Moira was surprised to see that Charles hadn't complained, and after the doctor finished and went to check another patient, the nurse began to apply a cream around the newly closed wound.

"If a Nazi soldier was closer, this means that soon they'll try to attack the city, right?" Moira asked quietly, frowning and thinking how much things had changed to bad in recent months.

Moira finished the dressing, pulling the sheet to cover Charles and then approached the head of his bed to get a glass of water for him.

"It's true Moira." Charles told her, sad, but when she lifted her head to look at him, Charles reached out and she put her hand in his and Charles' fingers closed around hers in a gentle and comforting grip.

"But the boys and I will do everything in our power to protect the city, okay? Nothing will happen or touch you, Moira."

"Thank you, Charles." She opened a beautiful smile and Charles approached their interlaced hand to his lips, placing a kiss on her hand, making a slight blush appear on Moira's neck.

"I have to thank you for treating my leg."

"It is my duty Charles. And just as you swore to protect people, I treat them." Moira then pulled her hand back to fill the glass of water and handed it to him and adjusted his pillow and Charles felt his heart melt at the gesture, even though he knew it was part of her job.

After he drank the water and took the medicine she had given him, Moira said:

"It's almost midnight, so you can spend the night here, okay? I'll be here until 2am if you need anything or feel any pain, just call me."

"All right Moira, but I'm fine, as you've seen it, it was just a cut, the boys exaggerated a little in bringing me here."

"It could have become infected and you'd have ended up in pain and with a huge scar." She teased him, raising an eyebrow as she repeated the same words he had told her the last time and he laughed.

"Touché." He paused and took a deep breath, admitting: "Although I liked to be able to see you again."

"I..." Moira opened and closed her mouth, feeling her heart racing, but eventually admitted: "I also liked to see you again. Despite the circumstances."

Moira then checked the hour and said:

"C'mon, Good Shepherd, you need to rest. And I have to check the other patients. Good night."

"Good night, Moira."

The two exchanged a smile, wanting to prolong the moment and Moira ran her hand over his injured leg carefully before leaving and going to the next bed, feeling a great joy, knowing that night she would have difficulty concentrating on her work, but it would be because she was close to Charles.

Charles smiled, still thinking about the name she had given him and her beautiful smile, before covering his face with one arm, searching for a position to rest.

Charles had no idea what time it was when he woke up, but seeing the darkness of the infirmary, it should be past midnight. His leg wasn't hurting, just throbbing from time to time and so he didn't know what had waked him up. Looking to the side, with the moonlight illuminating the table beside, he saw his glass full of water with his medicine and smiled, knowing Moira had put them there some time ago.

Then, he heard some melodious and low notes being played from the corner of the infirmary and he sat up in bed, trying to see who it was. There was a lamp on the corner of the infirmary and, noticing for the first time there was a small piano there, he saw a young woman with auburn hair playing it.

Smiling in surprise, Charles got up from the bed, containing a hiss of pain after putting too much weight on his injured leg, but he ignored it and walked slowly to where Moira was playing, enchanted by the melody. Deciding to have some fun, he raised his fingers to his temple.

Moira was playing the piano when suddenly, Charles was sitting on the bench beside her and she opened her eyes, stopping playing and covered her mouth in shock.

"Charles!" She hissed, seeing his mischievous smile. "Ho-You should be resting!"

"I am fine. I woke up and heard music and I was curious." He gestured to the piano. "You play beautifully, Moira."

"Thank you, Charles."

Seeing then he took her hands and place them over the keys with his over, Charles guided her on a new melody, surprising her.

"I didn't know you could play."

"Well, there are many things that you still don't know about me." He said in a flirting tone that, but looking at his face, without stopping the song, she noticed that there was something sad in his eyes.

And it was true, Charles thought. He wished he could reveal to Moira what he really was, but he knew it was still too early. Many would see this as an aberration or threat, but something was telling him that Moira would understand.

"My mother taught me how to play when I was little. But I don't play like you..." Charles revealed serenely as he played with her and threw his head slightly to the side to remove a lock from his forehead.

"Where is your mother?"

"Despite being born here, she and my stepfather live in New York now, along with my sister, Raven." His eyes lit up at the thought of his younger sister and how much he missed her.  
"Your sister?" Moira asked curiously, as she smiled at the thought of him with his sister, being all overprotective, knowing it was who he was, and she smiled.

"She went to live with us when she was five. She is very temperamental, but is a lovely and caring girl. When we were younger, she'd practically force me to play something or tell her a bedtime story. She's in a boarding school, going to her last year and she can't wait to go live with me."

"In Oxford?"

"Oh no. My grandfather left me a house in Westchester. She and our mother are always arguing because of Raven's life choices." And Charles knew how hard it was for Raven to hide her true form and so they'd agreed when the war was over she would live with him.

His hands continued guiding hers in the beautiful melody, and despite being a little cold in there, being almost 2pm, none of them seemed to care because of their proximity and the heat emanating from their bodies. Reflecting about the things that Charles had told her, Moira said:

"My grandmother used to say that all MacTaggert women should learn how to play an instrument, as part of the dowry of a future wife." Charles saw Moira's ironic tone, knowing how hard it was to be a woman in a men's world.

What Moira said then made Charles' heart fill with pride and love:

"I read that music helps to calm patients and so when I have some free time, I play a little for them."

The two played for a few more minutes, until Moira guide him back to his bed, and put her overcoat over her uniform and straighten her hair, saying:

"Good Shepherd, anything you need, Juliana will be in the next turn. You need to rest."

"Is Joe coming to take you home?" Charles asked, in a mix of concern because it was late, and because he wanted to know if she still was with him.

"In fact, my father. Joe is with some friends." She sounded a little bitter, talking about her boyfriend, leaving Charles in doubt, but seeing her troubled look as she picked up her bag, he decided to try to make her smile:

"Can I get a goodnight kiss?"

Moira's eyes widened for a moment before she look at him amused, raising an eyebrow:

"Read my mind."

Charles stared at her incredulously, before realizing that she was joking, relaxing in his bed then. Inside, Moira's heart was beating fast, and if it was possible to read minds, Moira thought that probably he would know that she wanted to kiss him, but being with Joe, it wasn't possible and she knew she had to act soon.

"Good night. Charles." She said blowing a kiss and he gave her a beautiful smile:

"Sweet dreams, Moira."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _Dear God, I hope you got the letter and_

 _I pray that you can make it better down here_

 _I don't need a big reduction in the price of beer_

 _But all the people that you made in your image_

 _See them starving on their feet_

 _Cause they don't get enough to eat_

 _From God, I can't believe in you_

 **XTC-Dear God**

The next morning, Charles was feeling better and could continue patrolling until he would have to return to check the stitches in a few days. The only bad news was that day was Moira's day off and so he wouldn't see her when he left.

Charles finished dressing in the clothes that Erik had brought the night before when Kayla appeared, smiling as she arranged his bed.

"Good morning, Mr. Xavier, I see that you look better." She said after removing the sheets and checking his dressing and then she asked casually, though her heart was beating fast: "Any chance your friend Logan will come by today?"

"Hardly." He replied amused, having realized the night before they were both attracted to each other, despite their different personalities. "He doesn't like hospitals. But as he'll be free after 6pm, I imagine he'll be at the bar, perhaps waiting for a beautiful and brunette woman to rock his world."

Kayla felt her face flush, both at the man's kindness as to think of Logan and if that was true. She straightened a lock of her brown hair in the bun underneath the hat, thinking of Logan. Then she gave him a bright smile, handing him some pills before leaving, saying:

"I like you, Charles. I can see why you've left a big impression on Moira."

The telepath opened a small smile before turning to the small mirror on the bedside table, tucking his shirt and running a hand through his hair that formed waves, since he hadn't cut it for some time, even though his captain was always ordering him to cut it, but his hair was his only vanity.

Charles thought of Moira and the song they had played together and sighed.

Picking up his things and leaving the hospital, Charles was surprised to see a black motorcycle with Joe and Moira, the girl dressed in a pale pink dress looking more beautiful than ever, leaning against it. At the sight of Charles, she grinned and pushed herself away from the bike, walking up toward him while Charles walked down the stairs and went to meet her. The two maintained a respectable distance between them and Charles smiled gently.

"What are you doing here?" Twisting her hands, she looked at him with her expressive chocolate eyes.

"Although it's Kayla's shift you're still my patient and so I came to see if you're ok."

Still smiling, he took two fingers to his temple and stared at her, making Moira frown, curious and puzzled.

"What are you doing, Charles?"

"Nothing." He said lowering his hand, unsuccessfully to access her mind and finally he said sincerely: "I'm fine, thanks to you."

They were silent for a moment, Charles staring at her and Moira looking to the floor, trying to tell him what she'd been feeling for him in the last days, but then she said sadly:

"So, I'm going, ok?" When she turned, her heart racing, he called her name:

"See you around?"

Smiling, she nodded and Charles watched with a sad smile, seeing her put on the helmet and climb on the bike and leave making him realize from that time on, that he was falling in love with Moira, when then General Carlisle and Erik approached him.

"Xavier, good to see you're okay."

"I'm fine and ready for duty, sir."

Charles and Erik exchanged glances, the first ensuring his best friend that he was well, leaving him relieved.

"Xavier, I know you've just left the hospital, but we received an emergency call saying that a group of American soldiers and civilians were attacked and they need a rescue group."

"Leave it to our group." Charles assured him seriously and went to meet with Logan and Alex Summer, a young mutant who saw Charles as a mentor and brother.

Carlisle then approached them with a young man who shouldn't be older than 20, looking misfit in the uniform, as he adjusted his glasses.

"This is Hank Mcoy, a future scientist who's just joined our troops." And then he added lowly, so that only Charles could hear: "I was informed that he was born with a foot deformity, but that doesn't hinder his efficiency, quite the contrary."

Frowning and looking down, only noticing that his combat boots were a little wider, Charles quietly raised two fingers to his temple and reached Hank's mind, catching glimpses of his shock from when he'd realized his feet were suffering some kind of mutation to something primate and Charles, realizing that it was a mutation, exchanged a look with Erik, who raised an eyebrow at the same time the telepath said in Hank's mind:

 _Don't worry Hank, you're not alone, we are all mutants like you._

Hank was surprised before opening a smile, feeling a huge relief to the voice in his head.

The five soldiers, Charles, Erik Logan, Alex and Hank were inside the truck with Hank on the steering wheel, who'd showed to be a talented driver. Although Charles was the leader, even being younger than Logan, the mutant that could heal himself and had claws that sprouted from his fists, went ahead, arms folded with a cigar in his mouth while Charles was in the back with Alex and Erik, studying a map.

Charles thought how funny that their rescue group was, formed by mutants. He had met Erik in the United States when the mysterious man had moved there after escaping from a Nazi prison. Almost a year ago the two had met in enlistment and Charles had read his distress, the horrors he had went through in Shaw's hands and his desperation for failing to save his parents and controlling his powers.

It had been the first time Charles had spoken to him in his mind and, despite Erik's suspicion at first, Charles had made him open up, helping him with his powers and telling him about his dream of opening a school for mutants, told him about his sister and why he was there in the war. Erik then had come to trust him with his life, both becoming great friends and brothers, wanting to help the mutants when the war was over, and even if Charles didn't approve Erik's desire to kill Shaw because of his parents' death and his hatred for human, both got along, always together even being very different, Charles good and charming with everyone as Erik was mysterious and sometimes, arrogant.

Logan, whose background was a mystery to them, had joined them after his team had died in an ambush and only he'd survived the bombs and he decided to help soldiers too. What they knew was that he had an older brother, also a mutant and the two had followed different paths in the war. He was quiet and antisocial, but gradually, he had started to get used to Charles and Erik, considering them good friends, though he and Erik often fought, but despite his rudeness, he was always ready to help.

And finally, Charles and Erik had met with Alex by chance, when he'd enlisted, young and nervous but willing to fight, becoming a great soldier, confident and sometimes playful. Carlisle had told him that the young man had spent a year in solitary confinement because of an anomaly that caused him to release a laser from his hands and was kept under security. Carlisle knew of Charles's study of the X gene and therefore had approved Charles' request for the boy to stay in his team, but keep his power in secret, at the request of his parents and the OSS, the Office of Strategic Services.

And after Charles had help Alex, becoming his mentor and friend, the telepath had decided that Alex would be one of his first students at his school after the war. Shortly before the war, some OSS agents, led by a good man known as "the man in black" had looked for Charles because of his studies and thesis, questioning him about a possible existence of mutants, because of cases like Alex, Hank and others, looking very interested, but the war had interrupted everything.

The afternoon was warm and Alex was sitting with a hand around his gun that was resting over his chest, his eyes closed, but alert. Erik, relaxed, was looking out of the truck, watching the road while playing with a metal bullet and Charles, was leaning against the canvas wall, lost in thought.

He thought of Moira and what she was doing, if she was with Joe, but her mind was inaccessible. He thought of his sister, who had written to him telling him that she didn't want to go back to school next semester, and his plans for the school of mutants, as well as his desire to end the war, which had separated and injured many people, like Erik.

With the image of Moira making his bandage the previous night, Charles put a hand over his leg, touching where the bandage was, above his army pants. His fingers caressed the spot in the way that Moira had done.

Erik, seeing the movement with the corner of his eye, saw the look of love in Charles's eyes as he touched the bandage and, although he felt anger for human and knew that Charles's look was for one, a small part of him couldn't help but feel a small happiness for his friend because nurse MacTaggert wasn't such a bad option, she had stared him in the eye and held his gaze, besides having treated Charles. So he asked, smirking:

"Moira?"

"Yes." Charles replied, surprised, but then realized that Erik was watching his hand. "It's her."

"Just be careful, old friend." Charles watched his friend's face, seeing that his eyes were bright, despite the serious advice and the telepath gave him a small smile, saying:

"Thank you, old friend."

Two hours later, the group found the wreckage of a truck that had been hit by numerous shots on road, and they could see that not too far from where they were, there was smoke, probably a fallen helicopter. Inside the truck, there were the bodies of two civilians and a soldier.

Knowing that there should be more of them lost there and that German soldiers could come and attack again when they see the smoke signal, Charles made a sign with his hand for them to go in groups to search, while Logan would investigate the smoke signal. With his gun in hand, Charles left the road toward the trees with Erik and the telepath then heard in his head, frightened thoughts of a young man and so he said aloud:

"We are the rescue team, you are safe."

From the ground, disguised between the clay and moss, a group of six people appeared, three civilians and three soldiers, both with many injuries, but relieved to have been found by their allies. One of the soldiers was carrying an unconscious woman with dark brown hair in his arms, and Charles made a sign to Erik to help him.

With a sigh, Erik approached the man and took the woman in his arms as Charles checked the others and removed from his backpack some supplies, food and water. But when Erik held the woman in his arms, a shiver ran through his body as he watched her sleeping face that despite the abuse suffered, exuded an air of serenity and strength.

"She was one of the civilians who managed to escape from the camp in Germany. We think someone must have passed information about their removal plan after the escape, because soon after we went to them, a German aircraft opened fire on us." The soldier, Lieutenant William said, as he rested a little.

"And how did you escape?" Charles asked, surprised.

"We don't know. Soldier Cassidy screamed when we started being hit by the first shots and then there was a loud noise, very loud, it seemed that we would pass out and the aircraft ended up crashing, not far from here."

Charles looked at Sean Cassidy, the young man with blond hair and frightened eyes, the boy looked as if he had done something wrong and the older thought disappointed of all those lives that were being lost and the future of young students like Sean, Alex and Hank, who had been interrupted so they could go to the battlefield.

And he knew he needed to calm the boy.

Inside the truck, driving back to Oxford, Charles asked questions to the soldiers, William, Burgh and Wellington, shortly after he and Sean had talked telepathically and the blonde now looked better, after being guaranteed that he'd saved many innocent people in that truck.

Erik sat further away, near the mattress in a makeshift stretcher where the mysterious woman was resting. He didn't know if it was their similar story of life of the serenity on her face that attracted him, but he was trying very hard to resist her.

The truck then ran over a hole, unbalancing everyone and, by impulse, Erik made the stretcher come to him so it wouldn't turn and Magda lifted her head while Erik held her, causing her to face him.

Her bright eyes met Erik's, making the man feel his heart beat a little faster, both because she had seen what he had done as because of her beauty.

The woman parted her lips, surprise both for seeing what his hands had done with the stretcher, as to stare at the man who'd helped her, who despite looking serious, had something gentle on his eyes, even if very little and she felt her face flush.

"Are you okay?"

"I am." She said, sitting up slowly with his help and Erik was surprised to see that she didn't seem scared of him and that she wasn't questioning him. "Thank you."

"We're going to Oxford. Do you have any relatives or friends there?"

"No." She replied with a sad sigh and Erik sympathized with her, seeing her eyes filled with tears, although she tried to stay strong. "I came from Poland... I was at my grandfather's house when the Nazis invaded and shot him because he was Jewish."

A tear ran down her face as she remembered the death of the grandfather, then having her arms and legs tied and being dragged into a truck by the Germans. She stroked her wrist, where there were some numbers written on her skin, done after she'd arrived at the camp, a few days before her escape.

"It's so wrong that we have to suffer and lose our loved ones only because we are of different races, colors and religions. We could learn so much with each other and love instead of hurt."

Her words seemed to touch Erik's heart, who felt that the fact that she wasn't saying anything about him controlling the metal early meant she didn't reject the mutants. He then realized that she was a good person.

Seeing that more tears were falling, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gently nudged her shoulder, waiting for her to calm down, handing her his handkerchief. Surprised, the woman accepted it, giving him a small smile before wiping the tears and some of the dirt that covered her face.

Feeling his heart sink for the second time in recent years, since the death of his parents in Germany, Erik rubbed his own wrist which had tattooed numbers too, under his sleeve. He was surprise with himself for feeling sorry for a woman who was human and that he wanted to make her feel better, and gradually understood what Charles had been trying to tell him about not all human being like Hitler, many of them suffering in their own hands too.

Noticing that Erik was rubbed his wrist, the woman realized that he must have escaped from there as well, and gave him an encouraging smile as she put her hand over his without fear of what he could do, trusting him, making him stop and stare at her in surprise, before slowly, giving a grip on her hand.

"My name is Magda Eisenhardt." The woman said, still smiling as she watched the mysterious man beside her. "And thank you for coming to us."

"Erik. Tenant Erik Lenhsherr." He replied, watching her face and her smile before opening a small smile too. "It's from human nature to destroy things which they are afraid of, but as a friend of mine says, humans can evolve and learn to love these things." Magda listened to him intently, and her heart melted when he said the next words gently and he held her hand:

"I'm sure that despite our losses, when this war is over, you'll meet new and different people and love and be loved by them."

Charles, who despite talking to the others, heard Erik's words and smiled, saying to him:

 _I am very proud of you._

And Erik replied touched:

 _I've learned from the best, Charles._

When they reached the military hospital to treat some of Magda burns, who was under Erik's watchful eyes, and some of William and Burgh's injuries from the bullets, Charles was surprised to see Moira at the hospital's stairs, in the door dressed in the white dress, looking anxious.

Seeing Charles, her eyes widened a little, like it used to happen and she felt relief as he met her at the stairs, smiling.

"Moira? Isn't today your day off?"

"It was, but Dr. Burt received a message from your captain, saying that you had gone to rescue some soldiers and that some of them were injured."

She had been worried that Charles had been hurt, especially after the knife injury from the day before, but after running her eyes quickly over his body, trying to hold her hands and blushing slightly at how the uniform accentuated him in the right places, she realized that he was fine.

Inside, Dr. Burt was treating the bullet's injures with the help of one of the nurses, while the voluntary nurses Kayla and Moira were divided among the other, treating burns and small cuts. Sean had gone to the base with Alex and Hank and Charles would talk to Carlisle in the morning to request Sean's transference to the rescue team, so he could keep an eye on him and help the boy.

When Kayla finished making the dressing of one of the civilian, she turned and saw Logan standing right behind her and for a moment, her heartbeats quickened as her face flushed, but she tried to keep her posture and smiled, raising an eyebrow at him. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to him, not only for his rugged but attractive face and tough personality, but because there was something good and right in him.

Logan, who during all his life beside his brother, Victor, fighting in the World War I had had only some quickly affairs, now felt that Kayla exerted some kind of fascination on him with her friendly and provocative smile. He knew she was young, 19, but she looked so mature and responsible and he wanted to know her better.

"Logan, you need something?"

"A drink? We had a difficult day." He said, in a mix of irony and jokiness and she smiled, denying.

"Of course not, this is a hospital." Picking up the coat that was in the chair, she suggested: "There's a bar nearby if you want to go there, my shift is over. And I suppose you haven't eaten anything yet. "

Logan raised an eyebrow, before smiling, helping her with her coat, his big, however gentle hands tucking the fabric over her shoulders, to Kayla's surprise. She looked at him, leaving him a little embarrassed before she lead him out by the arm gently with a lovely smile and then, relaxing, he left one hand resting on her back, saying to her:

"I'll pay the dinner tonight."

After Charles, Erik, Moira and Magda talked, Moira indicated the other woman the boutique of her grandfather's friend, who was in need of a woman to help there and, in turn, she could use the bedroom in the second floor so she would have a place to stay and a job until the war was over and she could safely return to Poland to live with an uncle.

Leaving Magda, who was resting, and Erik, who would stay a little longer, Moira and Charles went to the empty hallway of the hospital, because the telepath was going to return to base. Moira stopped there a few feet from Charles and smiled.

"Good night, Charles."

"Good night, Moira." He replied, smiling, and then, feeling a new courage, he paused, watching Moira and the softness of her body and asked: "Can I hug you?"

Moira stared at him, surprised by the question, her heart racing to imagine her in Charles Xavier's strong and loving arms, with whom she'd realized she was in love, but her complicated relationship with Joe kept her from doing that.

"Charles... It wouldn't be appropriate."

But Charles, feeling that she was also in love with him, had an idea. And when Moira realized in half a second, Charles, who hadn't been near her, was right at her side, placing a sweet kiss on her cheek that made both feel goose bumps, while Moira flushed, her eyes wide.

"Charles!"

"You said about the hug, but nothing about a kiss." He replied, taking a step back with a beautiful smile, a little smug.

And he walked away, heading for the exit, leaving Moira standing in the hallway, open-mouthed, not knowing whether she was delighted or exasperated with the man.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _Please don't say you love me_

 _Cause I might not say it back_

 _Doesn't mean my heart stops skipping when_

 _You look at me like tha_ t

 **Please don't say you love me-Gabrielle Aplin**

Two weeks had passed and the news of the Germany's invasion in other countries and the involvement of England continued to spread through Europe, as well as the threats and bombings. Charles had met with Moira only twice in that period of time, since his team had rescued Magda, Sean and the others, and although they hadn't been able to talk much, she busied with the patients and with some questions related to college.

And Charles had gone there to see one of his co-workers, having to return to base after, but the smiles and a few words exchanged between the two seemed to be enough to kill their longing for a while.

It was early afternoon and Charles had finished his shift and was walking on the sidewalk toward downtown, feeling physically and mentally tired with the war and because of his fatigue, he couldn't maintain full control over his powers, suffering then from headaches, receiving too many information from people on the streets.

Also, they had returned from a rescue mission that had ended badly. Charles's team had received a new soldier transferred from other base in England, but during the mission, Charles and soldier Johnson had gone together to investigate in the woods, with the telepath ahead, when he then asked the young soldier to check he river when then a small mine, planted by the Nazis blew up, hitting Johnson.

His blood had been all over the grass and Charles' mind was invaded by the young man's thoughts of pain as Charles ran up to him, holding him on his arms, trying to reassure the other man and check his injuries at the same time, sending a mental message to the rest of the team.

But after seeing the damage that the mine had done, blowing up his left leg and arm and his lips spitting blood, Charles knew it was serious and that Johnson wasn't going to return to the base. That had been the second time he had lost someone under his command, but the first time he had seen it so close. And while his heart was filled with anguish, being enveloped by the pain of the boy, by the memories of his family, all the telepath could do was comfort him, holding his hand tightly and implanting in his mind the images of his parents smiling and hugging him, as he started to close his eyes in Charles's arms and the rest of the team arrived to witness the scene.

Charles knew that deaths in the army, especially in a war, were inevitable and he couldn't blame himself for what had happened to soldier Johnson. He didn't blame himself, but wanted to have done more for the man that had been in his team. But that had hit his humanitarian side, hating more than ever that war.

Charles ran a hand through his hair as he thought if he should eat something or go straight to his dormitory, to rest.

"Charles!"

The young man's back tensed after hearing his name being called, thinking that it might be that something bad had happened and he was needed, but when he turned he saw that it was Moira MacTaggert, across the street, in a beautiful lilac dress and carrying a basket and the man smiled.

Motioning for her to wait for him where she was, he crossed the street and met her, being invaded by her almond scent, and something that seemed to be a chocolate pie coming from inside her basket.

"You're on lunch break?" She asked smiling as they shook hands. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she longed for these small meetings, knowing that she was falling in love with him more and more, although she was with Joe.

"Yes, I am. Actually, I've just finished my shift."

"I thought I'd come here to see if you were hungry." But taking a better look at him, she noticed he looked tired, stopped in a rigid posture and she frowned, worried. "But you're tired, I can leave this sandwich with you so you can eat later."

But the idea of losing an opportunity to have lunch with Moira, the beautiful Moira, to go to sleep seemed absurd and just being with her, part of him could relax and so he hastened to say:

"In fact, lunch now sounds very good."

When they reached the park, it was quiet because it was lunch time and many preferred to stay in their homes or at work, fearing an attack. While Charles sat under the stretched towel, he watched Moira kneel before him and remove two sandwiches and a small chocolate pie and was invaded by a wave of love for her to see that she had thought of him, worried with the possibility that he hadn't yet eaten.

"Thank you, Moira." He said, leaning forward and putting a hand on her shoulder, causing her smile.

"Just eat and get some rest."

Despite the dark mood caused by the war, the day was beautiful and sunny and they ate as they talked more, learning more about each other. Moira told him about her high school time, her friendship with Kayla, since the girl had came from Canada when she was little, about the music lessons and even, after he'd pluck from her that information, about something crazy that she had done in her senior year, doing the cheerleader's test and entering to the team.

Charles told her a little about his sister and the things that both liked to do together, about his time in college, participating in the swim team and about the guys from the rescue team and then, both talked about literature, not only finding that both were avid readers, but they shared some favorite authors. And now, the boy was telling her about what he had been doing before he'd been drafted into the war.

"Wait." Moira said surprised, staring at him after he'd told her about his PhD and thesis. "Is that you who've been studying and doing searchers on genetic mutation in the United States?"

"That's me. Have you read it yet?" Charles asked even more surprised by her interest in this area and she nodded, opening a huge smile.

"I've always been interested in genetics, since my second year. My biology teacher told me about a young teacher who had become famous for writing a thesis about the X gene, I haven't been able to read the full material because of the war, but I was fascinated."

Delighted to discover about her interest in the area, he talked a little more about his research, answering some of her questions and offering to send her a copy of his work when he returned to the United States. The conversation flowed naturally and, despite being a complex subject, for them it was relaxing.

"And are you going to college in the fall? Because I can recommend you." Charles suggested excited, but seeing her became quiet, he frowned, worried, placing a hand on hers, which was next to the plate.

"Moira?" Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and tried to say neutrally:

"I don't think I'm going." There was sadness in her voice that Charles, although not wanting to look like he was intruding, was tempted to ask why, concerned about her sadness.

"Why?"

"My father doesn't approve of me going to college to study genetics, unless it was something more worthy of a future housewife."

Charles knew only Mr. MacTaggert for what people had told him, he was a banker and traditionalist, a close friend of one of the politicians of the city, Joe's father.

He tightened he hold on Moira's hand, who was focused on her plate, bringing it to him and making her face him with her sad eyes and Charles asked gently:

"But have you applied to any college?"

"I've received a reply from Bennington, they accepted me."

Moira had applied to three American colleges and last week had received the approval of Bennington, but while her mother had been happy, her grandmother and her father had denied, both wanting her to was go to a nurse school in Oxford, or to marry someone, but she wasn't satisfied with either of options and knew that even if she used the moneys she had in her savings, the cost of the travel and accommodation would be too high without assurance that she would get a job there, so she was sad.

"But why so far?"

"Because when I heard about this research, I wanted to go there and meet him." She admitted, feeling her face warm, as she said, looking at him. "To meet you."

Charles blushed with the statement, while his heart was filled with love for her, listening to Moira's desire, who stared at him from beneath her eyelashes nervously with her admission.

"Hey, I'm glad to hear it." The man said, stroking her hand and then, he made a decision: "Moira, Bennington is not far from Westchester. I have a house there and you are more than welcome."

Moira stared surprised at the request, tempted to accept, either because she'd be able to study what she wanted and have a career, but also because she would be next to Charles. But at that moment, she knew what the answer was.

"Charles, I can't. No."

He knew without reading her mind, how tempted she was to accept it, but also understood the reasons for her refusal, not only because she was independent, but also because of her complicated relationship with Joe, which was no secret to be a strategy of their parents.

"I know, Moira." He replied with a sad smile and Moira caressed his hand and said softly:

"But one day, perhaps the answer will be different." The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Charles felt his head hurt again, raising his free hand to massage his temple and she called him worriedly: "Charles?"

"It's just my head." He mumbled and she realized something else was disturbing him.

"Charles... Did something happen? In the last mission...?" She asked, looking at him deep into his eyes, worried and Charles confirmed, knowing that he could confiding the pain of losing Johnson under his command.

When he finished telling her about Johnson's death and how he had held him in his arms, comforting him until he'd died, Moira was touched, seeing Charles' goodness and the trouble, and she said:

"I'm proud of how you command your team. Don't blame yourself, it won't do you any good."

"I don't blame myself anymore, but thanks Moira. I hate this war..."

Moira then stood up, releasing his hand and he was disappointed. The man was about to protest when he saw that she was taking a bottle from the basket and handing it to him, saying:

"I forgot I brought passion fruit juice, it'll help you to relax a little."

He gave her a beautiful smile in response, accepting the bottle and pouring the juice and the two talked a little more about simple things, before Moira start storing the leftovers in the basket, saying:

"Tonight there will be a football game at my old school, and I know that you and the boys love to play, especially Alex, Hank and Sean, being the youngest, so if you want to go there, you guys are invited."

"I bet they'll love it." Charles said, thinking it would be good for the boys to have some fun, even if only a night, to do the things boys in their ages do. So when they rose, he looked at her chocolate eyes and asked gently: "I'll see you there?"

"See you there." She promised with a beautiful smile, and then Charles approached her, getting so close that Moira could feel his hot breath on her face, watching closely every feature of his face and some freckles on his nose as she felt her heart racing, her eyes slightly wide.

The man raised a hand and slowly led it to Moira's hair, who just like with her eyes, he seemed to have a fascination for it. Trying not to blink, she watched his long fingers brush some rebel strands and she smiled, remembering when he had told to her about the auburn hair being some kind of mutation and Charles smiled too, slipping his hand into hers, squeezing it before they walked to the crosswalk.

When Moira crossed it, going to the other side, her chocolates eyes met Charles's blue eyes and the man watched her until she disappeared, anxious to see her that night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 _My face above the water_

 _My feet can't touch the ground_

 _Touch the ground, and it feels like_

 _I can see the sands on the horizon_

 _Every time you are not around_

 **Waves-Mr Probz**

Even with a war happening, the Oxford Private School's stands, Moira's old school, were full of students and former students of the school and from the rival school, St. Ambrose.

Erik had chosen not to go, since he was off duty and had been helping Magda to settle in the boutique room where she'd be working, and although the man had told the others that he was just doing it because it was his duty, Erik couldn't lie to his best friend. He was in love with the woman, despite his hateful feelings toward people who weren't mutants and Charles knew he was slowly changing, which made him happy.

 _"Erik, are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Charles asked, in the boutique, while helping Erik to move the last box from the store._

 _"No, you know that I'm responsible for helping her to settle in." Erik wiped the dust from his hands and Charles watched his friend's face, seeing that there was a glint in his eyes that hadn't been there before and smiled, glad that his friend was slowly finding his peace._

 _"That'll be the day when someone will be able to force Magneto to do something he doesn't want."_

 _"You always convince me." Erik said, raising an eyebrow and Charles laughed, indicating the top floor with his chin, where Magda was cleaning the room._

 _"Not this time, right?"_

 _"She's different for a human." Erik said after a pause, as the two stared at the floor above._

 _And in those two weeks he'd visited Magda in the hospital, the young woman seemed to touch his heart, even if Erik had been fighting against it, wanting to stay away from her. And after small talks, most started by Magda, who accepted his mutation, always smiling despite her bad past and trying to cheer him up, the two had started to open up with each other and Erik realized he was in love with her and couldn't hate her, although he still hated most humans._

 _"She understands me, understands us... I know your Moira do, bu-"_

 _"My Moira?" Charles interrupted his friend, blushing slightly, reminding about their lunch early and Erik continued:_

 _"I don't know if Moira will understand you, understand our mutation."_

 _"Erik." Charles called him, wanting his friend to be reasonable and respect Moira. "Believe me my friend, if one day I decide to tell her about my mutation, something tells me that she'll be quite understandable. She read about my work and seems very interested in studying mutation."_

 _Erik was surprised with the nurse and felt some of his resistance decrease._

 _"I'll try to be fairer with her..."_

 _"Thanks, Erik." Charles said, feeling lighter knowing that his best friend would be nicer to the woman he loved and then asked curiously: "You think about revealing your powers to Magda?"_

 _Erik ran a hand through his brown hair, taking a deep breath before facing his friend, with a small smile:_

 _"She already knows, my friend." Seeing Charles' surprised look, he nod and Charles saw in Erik's mind memories of when they'd rescued Magda and when he'd showed his powers to her by accident._

 _"I'm happy for you." Charles said smiling at him, patting his back. Erik gave him a small smile, embarrassed._

 _"I still don't trust most of the humans, I want to help the mutants to be free, but now I understand what you've been trying to tell me and what Magda says. Not all of them are bad."_

 _"Erik, I've found the sheets!" They heard from upstairs and saw Magda on the stairs, smiling at the two, especially at Erik holding several sheets in her hands._

 _"I'll help you." Erik said with a smile before turning to Charles. "Enjoy the game, go see your Moira." And Erik raised an eyebrow at his friend, amused, pushing him gently toward the door. "Good night, Charles."_

 _"Good night, old friend."_

 _And when Charles left, Erik went upstairs to find Magda, taking the sheets from her arms and opening a small smile, guiding her to the bedroom they'd been cleaning._

 _Seeing the bedroom almost ready and catching sight of the empty flower pot that Magda had placed on the bedside table, he made a flourish with his hand, making the flowers that he had picked up earlier and wrapped in an iron chain and put them on his jean's pocket, fly toward Magda, scaring her slightly to see the flying flowers, but then she opened a beautiful smile, seeing the little chain and linking it to Erik, who was watching her intently._

 _She put the little chain on her apron pocket with affection, then smelled the flowers and deposited them in the pot. They were the first flowers she'd received since the beginning of the war and that made her feel an urge to smile forever._

 _Magda knew that Erik still felt a huge mistrust of people and she didn't blame him, especially knowing the story of his life. She herself had been through similar things, seeing how much he struggled to accept it, and seeing something she could only describe as love in his eyes, filled her heart with love. She was in love with him._

 _"Thank you, Erik." She said with her accent and, in short steps, he crossed the room to her, lifting her chin and staring into her eyes, waiting for some backlash, but seeing only her love, he lowered his head and kissed her._

Charles smiled after reminding of his conversation with Erik, looking down and catching sight of Logan with Kayla. Logan, with his tough way, had Kayla in his arms, who was drinking soda and was telling him a story and although the man was looking at the horizon, he was paying attention to every word she was saying.

Charles had noticed that Kayla had some type of mutation that could induce people to do what she wanted, but could see that Logan wasn't influenced, he was truly in love and she still didn't know about her powers, thinking it was a gift, and so he was planning to talk to her.

Looking to his side, the man saw Hank, Alex and Sean entertained with the choreography that the new students from the Private were doing, before the game. Hank was admired, however Alex and Sean were arguing with each other because of the popcorn they were sharing.

"Alex, it's not fair, I paid for the popcorn!" Sean complained, but Alex was busy looking at two girls who were dancing, while holding the popcorn away from Sean.

"Oh c'mon Sean, sit here and enjoy. Then I'll pay you another popcorn after the game"

"After the game?!"

"Boys, please, share the popcorn." Charles said amused, but his tone also was the one that made everybody obey him and Alex looked one last time to Sean, before taking a handful of popcorn and then return the bag to him.

It was nice to see the three boys acting like any normal young men in their late teens, even if only for one night. As only Logan, Charles and Erik were off that night, Charles and Logan had spoken to Carlisle suggesting that Alex, Sean and Hank to go to the game to help policing and, even though the three were paying attention to the game, Charles knew that at any sign of something wrong, they'd be in action.

The game had started and Charles looked at the stands, waiting for Moira, but after the second half of the game started, there was no sign of the girl. Charles sighed sadly, running a hand through his hair. She probably was with Joe.

Thinking about stretching his legs and to get away from all the thoughts of the people around him, he got up, leaving the boys watching the game.

His thoughts went to Moira again, the young woman who had captured his attention on the first time, first because of her eyes, and then, for realizing that he couldn't read her mind. Her intelligence, her interest in genetic, how her chocolate eyes would look at him and her concern for the others and kindness made him fall in love with her and want to be by her side, protecting and loving her, and even though she was with Joe, he would continue to watch over her, until the day she would be with him because he knew she had feelings for him.

Arriving at the parking lot that was empty because everyone was at the game, Charles heard his name being shouted in his mind in a despair tone he'd never heard before and, realizing it was Moira's voice, his blood ran cold as he dropped his can of soda on the floor, taking his hands to his head, trying to leave aside his despair to be able to focus on her voice and from where it as coming.

With effort, he raised two fingers from his left hand to his temple.

 _CHARLES! I love you, I love you..._

Flashes of a hallway with trophies behind glass, Moira's hair flying in her field of vision and then a black-haired boy advancing toward her and Charles felt his knees fail for a second, before running from the parking lot.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 _Can you hear my call?_

 _Are you coming to get me now?_

 _I've been waiting for_

 _You to come rescue me_

 **I'm in here-Sia**

"Joe, you got me out of the game for what?" Moira asked crossing her arms as they stopped in the school's corridor.

She looked to the sides, uncomfortable and then stared at the boy in front of her, Joe, who had his back to her.

Moira had came to the game just before it started, but when she saw Charles with the boys and started walking toward them, Joe called her and he looked serious, asking to talk to her far from the noisy football game.

Both had been a little distant in recent weeks, she busy in the hospital or helping her mother and him, visiting some college's campus to where he'd applied to go in the fall.

They both knew their relationship hadn't been ok for some time now and Moira was already thinking of breaking up with him for some time, especially now that he'd become more possessive and even a little aggressive sometimes, which she'd noticed at first but had overlooked it.

Although at first she had liked the boy, with time she'd started to realize that he wasn't as fantastic as everyone said, just popular and cocky, things Moira had never liked, but as her father, who was a wealthy, man liked Joe and approved their relationship, putting pressure on it, it had become hard to break up with him.

But so much had happened, like her acceptance in Bennington, although her father had forbidden her and the Charles' arrival to Oxford. So she was determined to put an end to that chapter of her High School life. Charles, with his big heart, his fair way treating her as an equal and intelligence, which made the two talk for hours, attracted the girl and she knew she had been in love with him for some time now.

She had never felt such a desire to be next to someone as him. The day he and his troop had left to rescue the soldiers on the road and Dr. Burt had notified her, her heart had stopped for a moment, but to see him arrive safely with the others, bringing the rescued, her had filled with love and pride for him.

"Moira, I want you to stop seeing Tenant Xavier." Joe said coldly, turning to his girlfriend, whose eyes widened, shocked by the request.

The ambitious boy hadn't been happy with his girl's relationship with the man and some of his friends had been making jokes about him being exchanged for the soldier because he didn't have much stamina to satisfy her and it had made him furious.

"Joe, I won't do that." Moira replied, serious, while taking a deep deeply and then stared him in the eyes, saying what she'd already been thinking of doing for some time. "We're over."

In a mix of anger and shock, he stared at her, denying that:

"What? N-"

"Joe, high school is over, as well as our relationship." She continued gently, but firm, as the two had been together for a year, although it has been more because of their parent's influence. "You're going to college in the fall and will want to be with other girls, as I know you did at the beginning of our relationship."

It hadn't been a secret in the Oxford Private that Joe had been with two girls while being with Moira, but her friends, except for Kayla, and her father had insisted that he'd been only joking and that Joe was perfect for her. But Moira was tired of doing what everyone wanted.

"And I don't want this for me, Joe, I want more and I don't love you anymore."

"And you want what? That scared little soldier? With the army's salary, he won't be able to sustain you." Joe scoffed, approaching Moira and grabbing her wrist, continuing to provoke her and not only had the gesture, but the way he'd spoken of Charles made her angry.

To Joe's surprise, Moira pushed him away with all her strength, ignoring the pain in her wrist by the tug, making the boy fall to the floor stunned, not seeing that coming from his girlfriend.

"That soldier has a name, and it's Tenant Charles Xavier, from the rescue team, who has a big heart and is a brave man." Looking him in the eye, she said with shining eyes, taking a step back to leave: "I'm not afraid of you, Joe Sinclair."

"You'll pay for that, you bitch!" Joe said angrily, rising toward her, with a menacing look. "Josh was right when he said you've been sleeping with that filthy soldier for weeks. But know this, after we get married, I'll put you on the line."

Seeing her shocked look, he gave her a sly look:

"Yeah, high school is over, there you could do whatever you wanted, but in two months, when we get engaged, you'll have to obey me. Ours fathers have been planning this engagement for weeks to happen before I leave to college so they will join the fortunes. And you'll say goodbye to that soldier and your freedom, Moira."

"No, I won't." Moira denied vehemently, feeling her body tremble with anger and tension. "I'll tell Charles how I feel about him. High school is over and you aren't the only one who wants to go to college. I was accepted in Bennington and I'll be living with Charles there."

Moira knew she was being too precipitated, because even though she loved him, and suspected that he also felt something for her, Charles had invited her to live in his house so that she could study at Bennington, and not in the romantic sense, they weren't together.

Giving her back to him, Moira started to walk away at a quick pace, wanting to get out from there as quickly as possible when she realized that Josh was blocking the school exit and, feeling her heart racing, she tried to run to the door of a classroom beside her when then she felt a fist hitting the door and almost her ear and she turned around with her eyes widened in shock, her hair flying in her face as she opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came, only in her head, where she was shouting Charles' name.

When Charles reached the school hall, the scene in front of him left him very disturbed, making his rage be almost out of his control, an unusual feeling for him, seeing Joe press his Moira, the beautiful Moira, against a wall, covering her mouth with his hand, which was bleeding from a bite she had given him while the other was pulling at her hair tight, threatening her.

Staying calm, as much as possible in a situation like that, he walked toward Joe, touching his shoulder and Moira's eyes met Charles', widened in surprise to see the man she loved there at the right time.

When Joe turned around, Charles raised his hand to his own temple, while his other that was on Joe's shoulder, raised to his temple and Joe's cold eyes, who showed his anger, ready to hit Charles, became unfocused while he released Moira, who then leaned against the door, her heart beating fast with the adrenaline.

Concentrating and knowing that now Moira would know his biggest secret, Charles said in Joe's mind, seriously:

 _I can be a soldier, a tenant from tne army, but I don't tolerate nor support any kind of violence against people, especially those I love, and Moira is the love of my life._

And when Charles released Joe's face, keeping the other hand on his own temple, Joe's eyes returned to focus and stared at the man in a mix of horror and anger, taking a step back:

"What are you? What did you do to my head?!"

 _I'll feel a great swell of pity for your poor soul if you approach Moira MacTaggert or touch her again, because if that happens, your future will be very dark, Joe Sinclair._

Feeling Charles' power, Joe cast a last look of anger at the two, before running from them and finding Josh at the beginning of the corridor, who seemed paralyzed for a moment staring at the door, before he seemed to wake up, looking at Joe confused before they meet Logan and Erik at the door, both looking at the two boys in a threatening way.

Charles put an arm around Moira's waist and brought her toward his chest, helping her as one of her hands closed around his shirt and she buried her face on it, feeling safe and loved by him, not only absorbing Charles' scent, but all that had happened.

Charles' free hand then stroked her hair, as much to try to control his anger, as to reduce Moira's adrenaline.

Logan and Erik then turned to Charles and Logan asked:

"Are you two ok?"

"Don't worry Logan, everything is fine now, thank you." Charles said, thanking his friends, watching Joe and Josh leave hastily and Charles and Erik exchanged a look.

 _Thanks, Erik, but how did you know we were here?_

 _I decided to come see how you were when I saw you in the parking lot, going to the school in a hurry and so I called Logan to see if everything was fine. No one threatens you if it depends on me._

 _Thank you again._

 _Always. Now go talk to your Moira._

When Logan and Erik left, Charles looked down at Moira, who was still in his arms and noticed that all the tension of what had happened had left her, and now she was staring at him with a frown, but hadn't left his arms yet.

The man dropped his hand from her hair to touch the corner of her mouth, wiping Joe's blood and asked in a mix of concern and love:

"Are you okay Moira?"

She nodded, taking his hand that had touched her mouth and lifted it to her own temple a little hesitant and then asked:

"Charles, what are you?"

And at that moment, Charles felt his heart be filled with happiness, because he could read Moira's mind, as if somehow a barrier had been bent lowered from her mind, showing her thoughts of confusion, curiosity, but also the love she felt. There was no rejection towards what he might be. Looking her deep in the eyes, he replied:

"I'm a mutant, Moira."

Moira was surprised, almost not believing in what he'd told her, as she stared at Charles' blue eyes. But there was so much sincerity in his words that she believed, which also made her think about the thesis he had written, it was about X gene, mutation, and everything began to make sense.

Charles, seeing only surprise in her eyes, realized how right he had been about her and said:

"You're not scared."

"No Charles..." She replied, as if it was obvious because being good was part of his nature, and she trusted him. "So the mutation of the X gene, it has already happened? You have super powers like predicting the future, seeing that I would be here or something like that?"

"It has been going on for decades, as far as we know, but as many mutants are afraid of exposing their powers, it's difficult to be sure. I found out my powers when I was a kid, but it was only when my sister moved to live with us that I realized I wasn't the only different."

Seeing her surprise, he told her about Raven and her metamorphic powers, as well as talked about Erik, Logan, Hank, Alex and Sean, trusting that she wouldn't tell anyone else about it. And when he finished explaining about his friends and a little more about the mutation, Charles said:

"And to answer your question, I don't foresee the future, but I can read people's minds, stir their memories and even stop the time for them."

"So you've been reading my mind since we met?" There was some accusation in her voice, because the thought of him reading her mind made Moira feel invaded and she stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"I confess that I often read people's minds without permission when it's necessary, but not yours." He admitted sheepishly. "For some odd reason, I couldn't read it until tonight, when I heard you calling my name."

"Why you couldn't read it before?"

"I don't know, maybe you had some sort of barrier protecting it that ducked when you called me. But I promise I won't read your mind again." Charles told her, even though he was very curios to access it again, now that her barrier seemed to have disappeared, but he would never do it without her permission.

"Hey Charles." She called him gently. "I'm glad you managed to read it and save me. I won't prohibit you from reading it if you ask, okay?"

"Okay." He replied with a smile, lowering their hands and intertwining them, placing over his heart and took a deep breath: "I love you, Moira MacTaggert."

Moira's heart started to beat fast again as her face flushed, realizing that he had heard her statement when she'd called his name and Charles sighed, knowing it was time to confront what they felt and he said:

"I heard what you said after shouting my name in your mind and I wonder Moira, if what you said was true, or if was just the heat of the moment. I love you, but if you don't feel the same, just tell me and we'll remain friends." The man stared at her chocolate eyes that were slightly wide, and the girl took a deep breath, feeling as if everything around them had stopped, as she said:

"Charles, I love you, and when I screamed it in my head, it was true."

Shaking her head, Moira released her hand from his and slowly embraced him, whispering on his chest those words, feeling a huge relief for everything between her and Joe be over and to know that Charles loved her too.

Charles wrapped his other arm around Moira's body, bringing her closer to him and burying his face in her hair, being able to feel her body on his for the first time and, without any guilt, because now she was free. But Charles didn't intend to leave her situation like that or much longer, she was too important to him, but when he talked about freedom, he was referring about relationship, because for him although being a gentleman, was in favor of equal rights for men and women.

Breaking their embrace slowly, Charles said:

"I love you Moira and if you still want to go to Bennington, I want to be by your side in America after the war. My proposal for you to go to study there still stands."

"Really?" She asked amused but also surprised.

"Yes, Moira." Charles said, stroking her face and Moira stared at him from beneath her lashes, opening a beautiful smile and deciding to take that step.

"I want to, Charles... But I still need to send my letter to Bennington."

"I'll help you." He promised, leaning forward and kissing her forehead tenderly, making her feel warm on that spot.

Slowly, their lips approached in a small kiss and Moira closed her eyes, feeling like she was getting her first real kiss.

Charles moved his lips passionately, but gentle over hers as his free hand went to her waist, pulling her against his body, while her arms went around his neck, battling with his lips.

When they broke the kiss they smiled, hugging each other and Moira buried her face on his chest, feeling him bury his nose in her hair. That terrible night hadn't ended so bad.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 _No fair, you really know how to make me cry_

 _When you gimme those ocean eyes_

 _I'm scared, I've never fallen from quite this high_

 _Falling into your ocean eyes_

 _Those ocean eyes_

 **Billie Eilish-Ocean eyes**

The next day, after the game and the end of Moira and Joe's relationship, the girl still hadn't told her parents about that and suspected that whatever Charles had said to Joe, was preventing her ex from saying something. As it was lunchtime for both Moira and Charles, they had agreed to meet in the park, where Moira would bring the lunch and Charles would help her with her papers from college.

Charles, dressed on his uniform, was waiting beside the traffic light when he saw Moira coming towards him, still in her nurse's dress and carrying a picnic basket and he smiled passionately, as he waited for her to reach him.

Seeing Charles, Moira's heart filled with joy, watching the handsome man standing in his green uniform, his eyes shining as he smiled to the citizens, always kind and polite. But her joy was because now she was with him and, being loved by him.

"Good morning, Charles..."

"Moira..." Charles greeted her when she stopped in front of him and he kissed her forehead and both smiled.

The couple preferred to kiss when they had more privacy and when he interlaced his fingers with hers and the two crossed the crosswalk, the girl laughed, knowing that the reason he'd always be with her when she crossed a street was because of their first meeting and now he didn't trust the drivers and crosswalks.

But even being independent, Moira didn't care about the gesture, she thought it was very romantic of him and Charles, catching some of her thoughts, opened a small smile.

In the park, they had chose to stay in a spot far from the noises and now Charles had his back against a tree trunk, with Moira sitting between his legs, with her back against his chest. Both had exchanged several kisses and, after finishing the sandwiches that the girl had prepared, the couple was reading some papers related to Moira acceptance in Bennington.

With one hand, Charles was holding the letter, while the other was around her waist, his fingers intertwined with hers.

"It says that you need to be there in the second week of September, Augusts' last week if you are staying in the dorms, which isn't your case." Charles said, putting the paper aside and caressing her ear, making Moira sigh in satisfaction, before focusing in the matter again.

"But how we're going to do it Charles? I don't think it's right for me to stay in your house if you aren't there."

"Of course it is." He replied, shaking his head and smiling gently, still caressing her ear. He knew that Moira didn't like to depend on others, but he didn't see how she staying in his house while he was away was a problem, after all, they were together. "Moira, I love you and we are together. So, it doesn't matter if I will still be here in Oxford and you there, it's your home too."

Charles' last words made her heart race as she turned her head to the side to face him, surprised and touched and Charles kissed her lips to silence any protest.

Moira raised a hand and caressing his face, as he deepened the kiss. As there was no one nearby, the two took advantage of the little time they had and Charles released her hand, going to her back and stroking her over the dress, feeling her back and them, above, her shoulder blades, causing chills in her and Moira nibbled on his lower lip, making Charles sigh, before the couple stopped the kiss to breath.

With a few minutes left yet, Moira nestle against his chest again, closing her eyes and snuggling on him, feeling his fingers intertwined with hers again over her belly and Charles took the thermos with the passion fruit juice Moira had prepared for him.

The passion fruit juice was to relax him a little and take some of the stress of the morning caused by the news that Carlisle had given him about the death of many soldiers and civilians in a town in Germany.

Then he felt Moira raise their interlaced fingers to his lips, depositing a kiss over it and leaving them over her bosom, which rose and fell with her breathing slowly and Charles smiled, feeling the love and comfort coming from her.

"Rest Charles, you need it." Moira said softly, and minutes later, she felt Charles's breathing become more slow, realizing that he really had fallen asleep, the bottle of juice already empty beside him and she smiled, allowing herself to rest a bit too, but alert.

Two nights after their lunch in the park, Charles had left in a mission with his group, who had flown to another city, where they had stayed for two days, before returning to Oxford. The group had been tired and received a day off from Carlisle and Charles decided it would be good for the boys to go to the movies so Alex, Sean and Hank could do things from boys of their age, if only for one night, and would also be a good opportunity for him to he be with his beautiful Moira.

With the war, few movies were being produced and therefore the group decided to watch some action. Even Erik had gone with the group, after being convinced by Charles and Magda and the couple was waiting to buy the popcorn.

Logan and Kayla were sat in the first row, a little far to have some privacy and the girl was telling him a story while eating popcorn before he faced her, raising an eyebrow and looking amused, taking her hand that was full of popcorn and guided it to his mouth, munching the snacks before kissing Kayla, who sighed, feeling the mix of popcorn and him, while the man held her hand.

"My Wolverine." She mumbled, using the name he had adopted after she'd told him a legend that her family used to tell her.

"Your Wolverine." He nodded, with a wolfish grin, making her laugh and he admired her toothy grin, being invaded by strong emotions he'd never felt before.

Only Kayla could awake it in him, making Logan feel more protective of her, when at the beginning all he had wanted was to keep distance from her tranquility and independence, and now he was looking forward to the end of the war, so they could have a life together, and peace.

For him, his agitated and dangerous life had started to become tiresome since his brother Victor and he had gone to separated ways. He thought about going to Canada, where Kayla intended to return and work as a kindergarten teacher in the small town where she was born.

It was funny that a few weeks ago, they'd barely speak, he being rude and isolated and she, calm however determined, but since she had met him at the bar and the two had ended up talking and then kissing, now they were a couple and spent the little free time they had, together. It was hard with him on missions and her with her volunteer work, but they managed it.

Kayla loved him, especially after he'd admitted being afraid to start a relationship with her and end up hurting her for being who he was, a mutant with claws. It was a shock, but that only made Kayla understands him more and wants to stay at his side.

"Hey..." He said hoarsely, tracing her lips with his finger, cleaning the salt that was there and she closed her eyes for a moment, just feeling his touch, before grabbing his hand and setting it down, kissing him then.

Logan then deepened the kiss, feeling his heart beat faster, before breaking it, as they were in the cinema and there were kids there, so he touched his forehead to hers, watching her smile, before her leaned her in his arms, where she snuggled and his eyes fell to the brunette's wrist. He used his free hand to remove one of his dog tags and wrapped it around her wrist, leaving her surprised and then she lifted her arm in the air, to admire it.

"Logan... Thank you, I'll take good care of it."

"Keep it as if it was..." He paused for a moment dull with her in his arms, both staring at her wrist and then he finished, making her heart melt and his eyes soften: "As if it was my heart, until the end of the war."

Hank and Sean talked about another movie that was on display, it was science fictional while trying not to roll their eyes at Alex, who was standing next to his seat, greeting some of the girls who were entering, puffing his chest and smiling while receiving some looks of interest, then following them to their seats and one of them, a beautiful girl with green highlights on her hair, smiled as he touched her shoulder.

Minutes later, he approached Hank and Sean, making a sign with his hand to the two to follow him.

"C'mon guys, the two ladies there appear to show interest in nerds and boys with curly hair."

"Nerd?"

"Curls? I was born with them!"

And Alex twinkled amused at his friends, who looked flabbergasted, before catching their popcorns and soda and followed Alex to the row where the girls were sat.

Moira and Charles were sitting further back in an empty row, since there were few people in the room. She was sitting over her legs, leaning on the arm of the her seat to catch the popcorn that was with Charles, while the man was sitting comfortably at her side, with one arm around her waist, but instead of looking at the screen, he was watching her.

They had only spent a few days together since they'd started dating, but she was already one of the most important people in his world and he loved her so much it hurt when he was away from her because of his job. Noting that Charles was watching her, instead of the movie, Moira opened a small smile, thinking how much she loved the man and the wonderful things he did.

Moira then ate the popcorn she had on her hand and laid her head on Charles' shoulder, burying her face on the soft shirt he wore, smelling him. His hand that was around her waist caressed her hip over her dress, causing chills on her, and after realizing she hadn't raised her head to return her attention to the movie, he bent his head and kissed her hair, whispering:

"You're not enjoying the movie?"

"Um hum." She mumbled, denying, as she lifted her face to see his blue eyes that, even in the dark, seemed to glow.

"Moira, you could have said something and then we would have chosen another movie." Charles said, frowning and pushing her away from him a bit so he could stare at her. "It was to be a night for us to stay together and have fun."

"Charles, I said I didn't like the movie, not that I wasn't enjoying being here." She replied, rolling her eyes and smiling and Charles smiled, asking curious:

"But why didn't you say something?"

"Because I doubt the boys and Logan would want to sit down and watch some romance. And then, anyway, we would be together." She added timidly.

Charles shook his head, showing he wouldn't mind seeing a romance, he liked the genre and then he lifted the arm of the chair between them and brought Moira to him, hugging her, admired.

"I love you, Moira."

"I love you too, Charles."

The couple approached their faces until Charles pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss, first touching, before starting to move them.

Soon the movie was forgotten, while Charles raised a hand to Moira's nape, deepening the kiss and parting her lips with his tongue, asking permission to enter while his other hand held her waist. Moira raised her hands to his hair as her face flushed with the long kiss.

The hand on her nape started to put a little more pressure, but not hurting, while Charles was invaded by her scent and Moira tightened her grip on his hair biting his lower lip provocative and desperately before Charles took control, kissing her passionately.

The hand was on her waist fell to her right knee, stroking it and raised toward her thigh, exposed by the dress, feeling the softness of the skin as his body reacted to hers, squeezing her thigh.

Moira, torn between asking to stop, as they were in public and keep going, confused with the desire for him as Charles' hands and lips seemed to burn her skin in a good way, sighed with his touch, and the man interrupted the kiss and removed his hand from her leg, realizing he had gone a bit too far, after hearing the laughs of the boys in the row below, watching the movie.

He had forgotten where he was, something that would happen when Moira was with him, with just a look or a kiss. It was hard to resist her, her body, mind and soul, but Moira was special too, the love of his life, which made him hold back his desire for her.

"I'm sorry Moira, I went too far." He said softly, stroking her face, who had her forehead leaning against him, catching her breath.

"I... liked it." She admitted, feeling her face flush with the advance, playing with his hair still in her hands and she smiled.

With Joe, his touches had been possessives, more to show his friends that he was with her, which made her argue with him and always pushed him away.

But with Charles, it was like their bodies had been made for each other and every time he touched her, although full of desire, was also full of love.

Looking into her eyes, their foreheads still touching, Charles smiled passionately, placing a kiss on her lips, before taking his hand back to her thigh, caressing it while Moira straightened herself beside him, laying her head on his shoulder and leaving her legs lying over his lap, as he wrapped his other hand around her waist, keeping her with him, comfortable in his arms and the girl began to enjoy the movie.

It was late when the group left the cinema, and after Charles called a taxi to take Moira home, the couple exchanged a kiss in front of the big and beautiful house, before she entered, being followed by Charles's eyes until she closed the door.

Mr. MacTaggert lowered the newspaper he was reading while his wife, who was preparing a tea to drink before bed, smiled at their daughter, in approval of Charles, while Moira gave her a hug, but her husband didn't seem satisfied.

"Moira, you can't keep going out with that soldier." He said as she crossed her arms, angry at her father. "You know I don't approve the end of your relationship with Joe, he is a good boy from a wealthy family and has a bright future."

When Moira announced she'd broken up with Joe to be with Charles, her mother had supported her, but her father had been furious, demanding that she called Joe back, yelling at her, but the girl stomped her foot refusing it, she was eighteen years old and had the right to choose who she wanted to date, which had left them in bad terms, especially after she'd announced that she wanted to go to Bennington to study.

"Dad..."

"Soon everybody in Oxford will start talking because you stay up late on the street with that soldier. And I bet it's him who has been putting ideas in your head about studying genetics." Her father said, putting his hands on Moira's shoulders, trying to talk some sense into her.

"Dad, I love Charles and he respects me, he's different from Joe." Mr. MacTaggert shook his head, wanting to send her to her bedroom as punishment and forbid her to see Charles, but now that she was eighteen years old, it was no longer possible and he knew he was losing the battle because his wife supported Moira's decision, but he wasn't ready to give up yet.

"And Bennington was my choice, it has nothing to do with him. I want to have a career, to do more with my life."

"This won't end well to you, Moira. He's a soldier and when his group is transferred, he'll leave you, maybe even pregnant, and then your life will be ruined. No, I won't allow that."

"Ken!" Mrs. MacTaggert, Clarisse, hissed, frowning at her husband who looked at her angrily.

"But it's true!" And, turning to Moira, he pointed his finger at her. "No, while you are under this roof, you will obey me. Tomorrow I'll meet with Mr. Sinclair and we'll solve this situation, Moira."

Angry, Moira turned around and climbed the stairs quickly, feeling her eyes sting as she entered into her bedroom and slammed the door, just taking off her shoe and lying face down on bed, feeling a tear slip and she closed her eyes, stressed when then she felt Charles in her mind, seeming worried.

 _Moira, why are you sad?_

 _Charles?_ She thought surprised, before a small smile appeared on her lips, being invaded by his love for her. _It's nothing, don't worry._

 _Your father?_ He asked, knowing the answer.

Because they'd arrived late, he imagined that her father wouldn't be pleased, especially knowing that he didn't approve him, though they hadn't met yet. So he'd decided to check on Moira, to comfort her if necessary.

 _Yes._ She sighed, annoyed. _I'm sorry, it's just that he don't approve you because of Joe. But you're worth a thousand of Joes._

 _Don't worry, love. I know he cares about you, but one day he'll realize all that I want is to make you happy, I have faith in it._

 _Charles... Thank you._ Moira thought, feeling her heart lighter, as she turned on her side, facing her window and seeing the moon. _I love you._

 _I love you too._ Charles thought with love, as he adjusted himself on the bed of his dorm, in the top bunk and stared at the moon too, as he held his fingers to his temple. _The moon looks beautiful tonight._

 _I figured you would be seeing it too._

And the couple talked mentally for a few minutes, wanting to feel this closeness, before both went to sleep, smiling.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 _Midnight where we used to dance_

 _Underneath the ugly halogen lamps_

 _It all went away so fast_

 _In a black out_

 **In a black out-Hamilton Leithauser**

The next morning, Charles had been called by Carlisle in his office but when he got there, the man stopped at the door in shock because it wasn't Carlisle who was there. Sitting in one of the chairs was his younger sister, Raven, in her disguise with long blonde hair, wearing a summer dress. Seeing her brother, she opened a huge smile and stood up.

"Charles!" Leaving the shock and surprise aside, he walked toward her and the two embraced and the girl buried her face on his neck, happy to see him again.

"I missed you, Raven." Charles whispered, tightening his arms around her and she nodded.

"Me too…"

"But Raven, what are you doing here?"He asked, pulling away a little, and holding her hands. "Is our mother here in vacations?"

"Uh..." She began, biting her lip and staring at her brother in a way that told him that she'd done something wrong again.

Charles let out a long sigh, dropping one of her hands and raising it to his forehead, shaking his head slightly.

"Raven... You've ran away from the boarding school?" Seeing her looking away, Charles guided her to sit on the chair, sitting beside her and murmuring stressed: "My God, our mother must be going crazy, searching for you."

"Mom was driving me crazy. And we both know that its nor her that is looking for me, but the police. She wouldn't want to get stressed." She protested, crossing her arms. "She's always saying that my grades are too low, that I should stop having fun and start thinking about getting a good husband because I'm seventeen already. Charles, I don't want it!"

Feeling bad for his sister, Charles held her hand, leaving the stress aside and asking gently:

"But why didn't you go to my house in Westchester, then? You know I live in military base."

"Because I'm underage, remember? And then we still have Grandpa's house here so I thought of coming here, so I wouldn't be alone because you are in the same city and the house would also be an excuse for you to use the place to stay with your army friends or new girlfriends." Raven said simply, opening a satisfied smile and her brother groaned, covering his face again to hear her speak of girlfriends.

"Rave, it's not like that, I've changed..."

Although he had always been an honorable and good man, his beauty, money and army uniform always attracted many women to him, and it was no secret between him and Raven he had gone out with many women from all ages since his time in college until the beginning of his career in the army, but never wanting something more serious than a date or an one night stand, because he knew that none of them was the love of his life. Until he'd met his Moira.

"My God. You've met someone?" She asked in surprise, staring at her brother. While part of her felt a little jealous, because before he'd left, it had always been the two of them together, the other part of her was glad he was happy.

"It's a young nurse. Moira MacTaggert." Charles told her and Raven seemed very interested, while her brother told her how they had met each other and even about having revealed that he was a mutant.

"See? You can't bring her to the base, then having that house would be a good idea, you could have romantic dinners, exchange kisses and do others things without worrying about privacy." Raven continued, grimacing at the thought of her brother and Moira kissing. It was disgusting.

"Raven, Moira is very special, I won't use Grandpa's house just to have a place to do 'other things' with her!" Charles said angrily.

"But Grandpa's house would be a place where you can be together without worrying about privacy, since by what you've told me, her father doesn't approve the relationship."

Even Raven being adopted by Charles, after he'd altered his mother and stepfather's memory in the United States, Raven had met Charles's grandfather some years after he passed away and had liked him, considering him her grandfather too.

Charles could see that Raven was right, he and Moira enjoyed tranquility, and seeing the house of his grandfather again would be good, and this way, his sister could stay in the city, even if for a short time.

"You're right, Raven." The man surrendered, opening a small smile and seeing Raven join her hands excitedly. "We need space. But sister, you'll only stay until mid-August." Seeing that she was going to protest, he interrupted: "England is at war, this is no place for you. And besides, you need to finish your studies, you like it or not. My promise that you will come and live in Westchester is still standing, I'll talk to mother, okay?"

"Ok!" She said opening a huge smile and getting up from the chair, pulling Charles with her. "C'mon big brother, you owe me a tour in the base before we go to Grandpa's house."

After doing a quick tour in the base, as it would be Charles's shift soon and he still had to take Raven to the house, the girl accompanied him to his dorm for him to pick up his wallet, where Raven then found the three young men from which her brother had told her about in a letter. Alex, Sean and Hank.

Alex raised an eyebrow, while Sean blushed and Hank seemed shy at Raven's beauty, who smiled at him, knowing that Hank was the young mutant and scientist who struggled to hide his mutation, just like her.

Seeing that she was smiling, he then approached, holding out his hand and she held it. He had finally met the famous Raven, who Charles spoke a lot.

The next afternoon, Moira was finishing her shift at the hospital and was preparing to leave, thinking of meeting with Charles, ignoring her father's orders when then she saw from the infirmary window, Charles with a beautiful blonde girl who wore a summer dress and scarf.

Frowning and having flashbacks from her time with Joe where the boy would betray her with other girls, she felt a grip on her heart, before remembering that this wasn't Joe, but Charles and she relaxed a little.

"Moira?" Charles called, meeting her in the hallway and the girl smiled, though there was still a wrinkle between her eyes. Reassuring her, he said: "I want you to meet my young sister, Raven."

Surprise and seeing Raven's amused look, probably knowing what the other had been thinking, Moira relaxed and extended her hand to the other girl, who held it

"It's a pleasure Raven, your brother talks a lot about you." Moira said, smiling and admiring the beauty of the girl and her smile, which showed that she was someone who liked to have fun.

"Believe me, not as much as he's talked about you since I landed." Laughing, she turned to her brother and said: "She's beautiful just like you told me."

Charles shook his head, smiling and seeing Moira blushing before Raven gave them some privacy. Charles stopped in front of Moira, raising one hand and stroking her cheek as she sighed, feeling his hand then lowering to hers, intertwining their fingers and they exchanged a quick kiss.

"You okay?" He whispered and she nodded, smiling.

"We'll be." Changing one more kiss, he said:

"Moira, I'll stay with the night shift tonight." The two were disappointed, knowing they wouldn't be together today, but it was his duty. "What are you going to do this afternoon?"

"I don't know..." She sighed, thinking. "Maybe I'll go out with Kayla, or read something. Why?"

"I just don't want you to be alone." She shook her head, touched and amused with his concern. "And Raven wants to go shopping, but I don't want her walking around alone."

"Kayla and I can go with her, so she can meet other girls around her age, and you won't have to worry about my 'state of loneliness'." Moira suggested, smiling and Charles opened a small smile, knowing his concern Moira and his sister were a bit exaggerated, but it was part of who he was and he wouldn't change.

"That would be nice."

"I'd love to." Raven said, interrupting their conversation, appearing next to the couple, who quickly released each other. "Who's Kayla?"

"She's Logan's girlfriend and my best friend."

Moira, Kayla and Raven spent the afternoon in the mall, showing some of their favorite stores to Raven, who had already bought some clothes to wear in the British summer, realizing that it was a little cooler than the American summer, since she'd only been there in the winter.

They stopped in front of a tourist shop and while Raven was looking at the postcards of the city, tempted to send one to her mother in New York just to taunt her, Moira and Kayla were looking at some of the souvenirs and Moira bought a beautiful silver keychain written Oxford, wanting to give that to Charles, so he would have a piece of her with him, since their relationship had started in that city.

Going toward the food court to eat something before leaving, the trio passed near a jewelry store and Moira admired a beautiful pair of delicate earrings.

"They would look beautiful with your prom dress." Kayla said, but she denied it, starting to walk away from the store, before she could change her mind.

"No way Kay. I still want to buy new clothes for September, and still there is my flight ticket and I have to pay Bennington. "

Even coming from a wealthy family, Moira knew her father wouldn't help to pay for her studies, since she was going against him, and so she was using the money from her savings.

"So you're really going to United States, right?" The brunette asked, smiling and Moira nodded. "It'll be ok."

"Thanks Kayla..."

"Charles said something about you coming to live in Westchester." Raven said, giving Moira a small smile.

Despite the initial distrust, not only because she was dating her brother but also because she was a mutant and always needed to hide her true form from humans, Raven was starting to like the two girls, especially Moira, which was all that her brother had told her. Not only the beauty, but also because she was very clear about what she thought.

"It will be all right, we'll have fun there." The blonde assured her and Moira smiled at her as they sat at a table and the waiter wrote down their orderings.

"Now tell me about the prom."

"It's a dance for students who have just finished High School." Moira said. "It'll be in August, but will be open to other people who want to attend, so if you want, we'd love to have you there too."

"I will." Raven said, smiling and then taking a sip of her milkshake.

"Logan doesn't seem very excited about the prom." Kayla said, amused. "He doesn't like crowed places, but he promised he would take me, after all, we only go to the high school prom one time." Kayla and Moira laughed, thinking of when they had been in their first year, eager to be in the last year so they could go to the prom too.

"Logan? The big man with claws?" Raven asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise as her brother had described him as a lonely man.

"You know about his claws?"

"Charles." Raven answered and Kayla asked interested:

"You're a mutant?"

"Yes." Raven said, getting excited and then, knowing there was no one around looking, she changed her face, creating chops and looking like Logan and Moira and Kayla looked at her with wide eyes before they started laughing and the blonde smiled, changing again.

"You're amazing Raven!" Moira said sincerely.

She already knew what the girl could do, because Charles had told her about his sister and, knowing her better, she started to like the girl, realizing that she must be lonely at the boarding school, because of her secret and personality.

Raven realized she had been accepted for whom she was by the girls, something that had never happened before, except with Charles and her heart warmed.

"Thanks girls."

"Can you turn into anyone?" Kayla asked curiously and admired and Raven agreed, hesitating a little before she admitted:

"In fact, this isn't my true form." The two looked at her, frowning. "When I'm in my true form, my skin is blue and my eyes yellow, but it's not like I can go around like that." She admitted, in a mix of irony and sadness.

"Hey." Moira said, staring at the girl and giving her a small smile. "It's like Charles always says, and now I take his words, perhaps the world doesn't accept you now, but slowly, they will accept you and the others for who you are."

"And you won't need to hide anymore." Kayla said, smiling at the younger, who agreed, thanking the two.

At night, after arriving home, Moira had dinner with her parents and grandparents who had came to visit, and despite her father, Ken, being still furious with her, the night went quiet, the family talking about economics or about one of Moira cousin who was going to get married at the end of the year.

After showering and going to bed, she grabbed one of Jane Austin's books that she had been reading since the beginning of her vacations. She loved that kind of literature, as well as Charles, even though the social situation of women in that period wasn't something she liked.

She was turning the page when she felt Charles in her mind and she smiled, placing the book over her belly.

 _Charles!_

 _Good night, Moira, how was the shopping?_

 _Your sister is very an amazing person, Charles._ She thought, showing him glimpses of their conversation at the food court and the crazy clothes they had tried out as Raven's idea.

 _Should I be worried that you'll want to spend more time with her than with me?_ He asked joking and Moira giggled, shaking her head before her face closed in concern.

 _How's your turn?_

 _Don't worry Moira, the city is quiet, or as quieter as Oxford can be._

 _Ok..._ She thought, relaxing a little. Sometimes it was strange when they talked at night, with their difference shifts, her getting ready to sleep and he, patrolling the streets. Charles then thought:

 _Do you trust me?_

 _Of course I do, Charles..._ She thought sincere and he asked, his voice low and romantic:

 _Then close your eyes._

When she closed her eyes, it was as if in the dark she could feel Charles' presence. She could feel his warm breath on her face, one of his legs between hers, before his soft but strong lips kissed her.

Even with her eyes closed, Moira's heart was beating fast as she deepened the kiss, parting her lips to receive his tongue. Then she felt his hands stroking her hair as she hugged his back.

Charles, though was controlling himself to go slow with her, was having difficulties to resist the way her body was responding to his, but he knew that one day they would have to move forward and so he started advancing but letting her establish the pace and one of his hands lowered from her auburn hair, running a finger down her neck and down to the region of her neck, just above her right breast. Feeling her body on fire with that imaginary touch, Moira scratched his back in response, as she sighed on his lips.

Moira broke the kiss, still with her eyes closed, taking as much air as she could, before lowering her lips to his chin, feeling a certain roughness that must be his beard beginning to grow, absorbing his soap scent and something that was only Charles. Moira heard Charles sigh with the caresses of her lips and she smiled lowering them to her neck and depositing kisses there.

 _Charles..._

 _I love you... Moira._

Recapturing her lips, Charles reached down to her leg, caressing her calf and raising slowly to her thigh, squeezing it before attaching it around his hips, feeling his body reacting to her, praying that she wouldn't notice it, as his hand went up to her butt, fondling her over her nightgown.

 _Charles..._

Their lips exchanged kisses loaded with passion and new sensations invaded Moira, until a knock on her door made her open her eyes frightened, lying still in her bed, with the book over her.

"Moira?" Clarisse called on the other side of the door.

"Come in, mom." Moira said as she quickly ran her hand over her face and then Mrs. MacTaggert entered, smiling.

"Getting ready to sleep? I just came to tell you that I had a talk with your father." Moira frowned and she explained: "He is still angry, disapproving Charles and doing your grandfather's head. But I convinced him to give a chance to the man and asked you to call him to come have dinner with us tomorrow, if he isn't at service."

Moira opened up a huge smile as her mother approached and the girl hugged her.

"Thank you, Mom..."

"I haven't met him yet, but from what you've told me and from what I've hear from Dr. Burt, he's a good man." Stroking her daughter's hair, Clarisse went to the door and said:

"Good night, dear."

"Good night, mom."

When Moira was alone again, she sighed, still wondering about what had happened between her and Charles, when he said in her mind:

 _Did you enjoy it?_

 _It was wonderful._ She admitted with a smile, feeling her face heat up and he smiled. _You can do that with your powers too?_

 _Yes, I can make your mind feel what I want it to feel. And I did the same with mine._

 _Charles?_

 _Yes love?_

 _My father asked you to come have dinner here tomorrow night._ Charles, in the street, felt his face pale and Alex looked at him, frowning and Moira called, worried: _Charles?_

Concerned with the idea of finally meeting Mr. MacTaggert but determined to give him a good impression for Moira, he said:

 _I will. Let's settle this._

 _Thank you, Charles._

 _And if you are free, would you like to go with me in the afternoon to my house?_ He asked, smiling at the idea of them spending the afternoon together.

 _Yes but... Charles, how many houses your family has?_ Moira asked, perplexed and he laughed softly.

 _It was my maternal grandfather's house. He left the house for us to use when we would come here and Raven will stay there until she returns to the boarding school._

Moira then turned aside to embrace her pillow, still feeing Charles' hands on her body, and her book that was over her belly fell on the carpet.

 _Sense and Sensibility_? Charles thought with interest and when she nodded, he asked, uncertain: _You uh, would you mind reading a little to me until you fall asleep?_

Despite his turn to being calm that night, patrolling the hospital street with Alex, he was tense.

 _Of course, Charles._ She thought with a beautiful smile, reaching out to pick up the fallen book, laying in her side again and began to read to him from where she'd stopped, when the sisters traveled to London and, although he was on alert on the street, part of his mind held itself to Moira's voice, feeling relaxed.

When Charles felt Moira's mind start to get hazy, he knew she was almost asleep and decided to help her, smiling lovingly and commanding:

 _Rest, my Moira. Sweet dreams._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 _We keep this love in a photograph_

 _We made these memories for ourselves_

 _Where our eyes are never closing_

 _Hearts are never broken_

 _And time's forever frozen still_

 **Photograph-Ed Sheeran**

The next afternoon, Charles and Moira were standing in front of the man's grandfather's house and she admired it. The house was large and elegant, in a remote part of the town and surrounded by large trees.

"Wow Charles, it's so peaceful!" What she wanted to say was _has your family always been so rich_ , but she didn't want to offend him and knew he wouldn't be reading her mind without permission.

"If you liked it then you will like the mansion in Westchester. It's totally far from the town and is surrounded by fields and trees. C'mon, let's go." Charles gestured with his hand, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her inside.

Despite having been uninhabited for several years, Charles and Raven, with the help of Erik and Magda had cleaned the house the previous morning and the windows were open letting the air come in.

"Charles, Moira!" Raven ran down the stairs and embraced her brother, before kissing Moira's cheek.

Charles knew Raven might be feeling a little lonely in the house, but he couldn't sleep out of the base always and to Magda, who had settled in the boutique of Moira's grandfather's friend, the house was too far from the boutique, but seeing several magazines and the vinyl records around the living room floor, the oldest Xavier knew she was fine there.

"I'll leave you guys alone."

"No need to, Raven, I've just came to visit the place." Moira said, but Raven smiled, turning to her brother.

"Actually, I was wondering if you would let me go in a city sightseeing, Charles?"

"Alone, Raven?" Charles asked, frowning, not liking the idea. "You've only been here once, and you were too young to remember it. It's dangerous to let you go alone."

Raven frowned, crossing her arms, ready to say that mere humans were no match for her when Moira had an idea:

"Charles, why don't you ask the boys to go with her?"

"It's a good idea, but I don't know if they'll agree..."

"Oh, believe me brother, it's me who'll be doing a favor to go out with them." Raven said, smirking and Charles nodded and after calling the base, as Sean, Alex and Hank were with the day off, as they had worked until morning, just like him.

The three agreed to go with Raven to the city, excited to go out with her, but maintained some respect, both because it was the younger sister of their mentor, but also because they had learned to be like him when it was about women.

When the trio stopped in front of the house, in a jeep that Alex had taken from the base, they greeted Charles and Moira, before Alex turned to Raven and asked:

"And what do we do first?"

"Cinema." Raven said, and he and Sean groaned, anticipating some melodramatic romance, but the blonde put her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. "Just because I'm a woman it doesn't mean that I just watch romance. I want to see a science fiction movie. With a lot of action!"

"Wow..." Hank said, surprised, as this was his favorite genre. "There's a fictional movie I really want to see, Raven." She turned to him, smiling to see he enjoyed the same kind of movies that her and he felt his heart beat faster.

"Guys, we better get going, so it'll become late and we have to return to the base." Sean suggested and the group agreed, heading to the jeep and, adjusting his glasses, Hank stepped in front of Raven, opening the door for her.

Admiring the boy, she touched his shoulder, entering in the car.

"Thanks, Hank."

"You're welcome, Raven."

Inside the house, alone, Charles held Moira's hand while showing the house to her. Upstairs, where were his grandparent's old suite and the guest room, they passed by Raven's bedroom and then Charles' old room.

Entering, she saw a bed with tidy sheets, antique furniture and a shelf with some books and comics, as well as miniatures of airplanes and cars and Moira smiled, touching the toys and Charles ran a hand through his hair, saying awkwardly:

"I didn't even remember I had these toys here."

"Oh Charles, everybody keeps something from childhood." She reassured him, turning to him. "It's cute, I'm just trying to imagine you as a child."

"I was cute." The man say, approaching the shelf where Moira was, pushing some of his comic books and toys aside and removing an old picture frame.

The small picture frame in black and white showed a beautiful little boy of 8, with wavy hair and a huge smile on his face, sitting on the floor of his room, surrounded by toys and holding a periodic table.

"Always a student..." She said, still staring at the picture and running her fingers over the face of the younger Charles and the man then said smiling gently:

"Keep it for you, I almost don't come here." Surprised, but pleased, Moira agreed, putting the picture in her purse and then she saw the glow of a metallic object inside.

"I almost forgot." She said, patting her forehead and removing the keychain from her purse and handing it to him with a sheepish smile. "It's a keychain for you to keep with you and remember about the city." _And about me,_ she thought, with love.

"Moira... thank you." He replied touched, as he picked up the keychain with the words Oxford written and hung it in his belt, then holding out his hand to Moira and bringing her to him, embracing he girl.

Kissing the top of her head, he pulled back slightly, lowering his head and raising her face gently with his fingers, kissing her.

The couple sat in the living room, side by side on the couch, finishing filling the last papers for Moira's registration in Bennington. She was supporting the paper she was filling over her notebook, thus allowing her to be sat next to Charles, as the man had a flyer and some papers with the courses they offered in the first year and advised Moira.

Moira was extremely grateful for being there with Charles, not only because he was a wonderful and attentive man and boyfriend, but also because he could advise her about the subjects she wanted to study in September. With her father, it wouldn't work, not only because he was against her choices, but also because he was a banker and didn't understand a lot about science and genetics. Of course, she could have asked for help from her former biology teacher, but it wouldn't have been the same as asking Charles.

Finishing filling the papers and leaving them aside, Moira stretched, seeing that it was still early and then leaned on Charles's shoulder, who was studying the papers with interest, and then, feeling Moira's body lean against his, he smiled, holding up the papers and passing his free hand through her hair, guiding her onto his lap to lie down.

Smiling to see why Charles had been so exciting about the house, she relaxed on his lap, looking up and watching him read, thinking how handsome he looked even when he was concentrated.

"So, Professor Xavier, what do you recommend?" She asked joking and he laughed, keeping his hand on her hair.

"They have lots of interesting subjects. I've marked some of them that I thought were important, but the decision is yours." He told her, then after reading the list and talking a bit, Moira decide to reflect at home, and the girl felt the desire from last night appear, with his breath on her face and one of his legs, moving beneath her and, feeling brave, she murmured:

"Charles, I want you to touch me like that again... As in our minds."

She lifts her arms, holding Charles by his nape, and he was surprised by the request, then being pulled toward her by his nape and she kissed him hard.

Charles, reacting to her body, readjusted them on the couch, getting on top, without crushing Moira, in the same position as the image he had created in their minds last night. Moira's hands stroked his hair and ear, eliciting a sigh from the man, then falling to his shoulders, massaging them.

With a knee pressed between her legs, but without touching her there, it was still early, Charles put a hand under her head, the other on her waist as he deepened the kiss.

The air was getting heavy and warm due the sensations caused by their touches, but none of them cared, wanting to take advantage of that time they had alone to be together. Moira cocked her head to the side when Charles dropped his lips to her neck, distributing kisses and bites there, but being careful not to leave a mark and the girl, feeling the goose bumps, bent one knee while moving herself beneath Charles.

With Moira's head still turned to the side over his hand, Charles stroked her lips with the thumb from his hand, parting them for a moment and averting his own lips from her neck to look at her. Seeing her face flushed and the chocolates eyes slightly wide, but glowing with desire, and lips parted around his finger, Charles felt some of his control start to escape, but for Moira, he managed to have his control back, deciding to move forward just a little bit, both to prepare her, as to make her feel loved and also to try to satisfy his desire for her, something he knew that was impossible, she was addicting.

Moira, feeling his finger leaving her lips, clenched her fingers around Charles's hair as his hand began to descend from her face to her neck, chest and gently rubbing over her right breast. Moira gasped and Charles let his hand rest over it, apprehensive and trying to read her mind to know whether she was enjoying it or not, but feeling her other leg bending beneath him and her fingers in his hair massaging his scalp, he knew he it was alright for her snd started caressing her breast, feeling its weight snd texture.

The feel of his hand stroking her breast was magical, it was hot, different from what she had felt when Joe had tried to touch her several times, only to have his hand slapped, to his irritation.

Charles felt certain parts of his body stiffen, feeling his hand around her breast and, seeing her smile, Charles smiled too, saying:

"I love you."

"I love you too."

And he kissed her passionately, as his hand began to massage her. Taking control of the kiss, Moira's hands lowered from his back, getting inside the shirt Charles was wearing, feeling his warm skin and muscles moving under her hands as Charles moved over her, kissing her and Charles growled, feeling her nails scratching his back lightly.

"So good..." She sighed between kisses and he whispered words of love, recapturing her lips.

When the couple broke the kiss, trying to catch their breaths, they smiled, while Charles straightened on the couch, lying next to Moira, who laid her head for a moment on his shoulder lazily, one leg tangled with his and the telepath kissed her hair, allowing the hand that was around her waist rest underneath the blouse she wore, caressing her bare and crawled skin.

They didn't know for how long they had stayed in the couch, but when Moira opened her eyes and saw that it was getting dark inside of the house, she realized it should be almost 6pm. Looking to the side, she saw Charles's face buried in her hair, asleep and she smiled, combing his hair and making him raise his head, sleepily.

"Moira?"

"It's getting dark, Charles, soon we'll have to leave for the dinner. And the boys must be almost here." But it didn't seem to awake him fully and so the girl smirked: "And we'll end up being caught by your sister on the couch."

"Argh..." The man sat on a leap remembering about his sister, trying to erase from his mind the image of being caught with his girlfriend on the couch, by his younger sister.

Laughing as she saw him sitting on the couch and combing his hair with his hand, Moira placed a kiss on his cheek, when the front door opened, and before Charles could have felt her mind, being distracted, Raven, holding hands with Hank and being followed by Sean and Alex entered in the house.

Raven was laughing while Sean was imitating with his hands the scene with the gun they had watched and Hank was watching Raven's beautiful smile, then looking down, seeing their hands together, gesture started by him when they'd left the jeep, and he had made the blonde blush slightly and smile.

 _"Did you have fun?" Hank asked as he reached for her, leaving the jeep._

 _Raven enchanted him, not only for her beautiful smile and cool way, but by the way she accepted her mutation, although she couldn't walk around in her true form._

 _She had revealed herself to him inside the cinema, her true face, with red hair and blue skin and, although it was shocking at first, Hank had been dumbfounded, he found her fascinating and admired her for being so strong and not caring what others thought about her._

 _But the moment had been interrupted inside the cinema when Sean had slammed his fist on the seat beside them in his favorite scene._

 _"How I haven't in months." She reassured him, accepting his hand and pulling him forward with her._

 _Hank, being a little shy, but also struggling and suffering for having to hide his mutation, seemed to be someone she had been looking for a long time but not realizing, being gentle, fun and smart and she wanted to talk to her brother to know if that was how he felt with Moira._

 _"I really enjoyed hanging out with you Hank." She admitted, kissing his cheek and leading him ahead of Alex and Sean, who widened their eyes, surprised by the kiss before smirking, ready to annoy their friend that night. It was good to see him have fun._

Raven, then seeing the scene in the living room, stopped at the door, making the other two bump into her back:

"Charles, you have a room on the second floor!"

"Raven!" The man hissed looking at Moira, who was covering her face with her hand and then looked at the boys, whom saw him as a mentor and the boys didn't know where to look, amazed, embarrassed and happy for they two, but also trying not to laugh.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 _Flame you came to me_

 _Fire meet gasoline_

 _Fire meet gasoline_

 _I'm burning alive_

 _I can barely breathe_

 _When you're here loving me_

 _Fire meet gasoline_

 _Fire meet gasoline_

 **Sia-Fire meet gasoline**

The dinner at the MacTaggert was going alright. Despite Ken's disapproving look while receiving Charles, seeing him walking hand in hand with his daughter inside of their house, Clarisse had received the man warmly, delighted with his politeness and captivating way, who'd kissed her hand and praised her.

But Raven, instead, had been welcomed by Ken, she'd smiled and had been very friendly, knowing that earning points with him would help Charles.

The couple was sat at the table with Raven and Moira's parents and grandparents, who lived nearby. Mrs. MacTaggert, who preferred not to talk about the war at the table, was talking to Raven to know the girl better, while Ken and his father were talking about the situation of England in the war and Charles and Moira were exchanging small smiles as they finished dinner.

"And you Charles? Who do you think will win this war? Of course the United States." Moira's grandfather, Kennedy, asked looking at the man and smiling, while serving up more champagne. Ken said nothing, wiping his lips and watching the man closely.

"With all due respect sir, even if the United States 'win' this war, it'll have a taste of defeat because wars only serve to destroy, when we fight so hard to build."

Charles knew that if he wanted to impress Ken MacTaggert and his father Kennedy, who had been a war hero during the WW1, he should show his support to the US and the British troops, saying that they would emerge victorious, having read their minds and seen their opinions. But the telepath knew that even if they won, a lot of blood would be shed.

 _Charles! Are you crazy, you're trying to impress the man, not annoy him!_ Raven thought, and the man just shook his head slightly to her, barely moving it.

Charles felt Moira's hand holding his under the table and he gave it a squeeze, then looking at Kennedy and Ken, the oldest slightly shocked and Ken, surprised and Charles accessed his mind, seeing that it was surprise in a good way, but he wasn't entirely happy with his relationship with his only daughter yet.

"Well, it's an interesting point of view." Kennedy finally said, recovering from the shock.

"And what do you intend to do when the war is over?" Ken finally asked, directing his first words to Charles. Clarisse then stopped to talk to her mother-in-law and Raven, all interested hearing them.

"I'll start teaching. Just before the war broke out, I'd obtained my PhD in genetic mutation, but I had to stop my plans in order to serve my country." Charles had been careful of not specifying exactly where he was going to be teaching, in his future school, not only for not wanting to reveal the existence of mutants to him, at least for now, but because he didn't want blow up his last chance to be with Moira.

"So it's you who has been putting in our daughter's head these ideas of study genetics in America?"

"Dad!"

"Dear..." Clarisse warned him, but Charles answered:

"No, Moira proved to be very interested in the subject and when I met her, she'd already applied for Bennington. I admit that I would have loved to be responsible to have aroused such interest in her, but it wasn't me." The man said sincerely, looking at Ken without fear, he didn't seem happy with the answer.

"Dad, I like genetics, I've been interested since my second year and I want to study it at college."

"I've always told you two that she should have gone to study in a boarding Catholic school." Mary Anne, Moira's grandmother muttered, shaking her head to her daughter-in-law, who ignored her.

While Mary Anne was a traditionalist wife, Clarisse, who had grown up in the same ambient, had been happy for her daughter to be trying to be independent and for having a man who would support her unconditionally.

"And you intend to go to America, but I imagine that even with a teacher's salary, you will go through many difficulties. With the end of the war, you won't be receiving anymore from the army." Ken said, because he didn't know the true about Charles' great financial conditions.

Ken wasn't interested in fortune, had inherent the bank of his father and made a good living as a banker, but he wanted to ensure that his daughter had a good life with her future husband and, despite Joe's attitudes, the boy who had dated his daughter had a lot of stability, not seeming interested in Mr. MacTaggert's money.

Charles understood his concern about his daughter, but also wanted to convince him that he was able to make her happy. So the man said, firmly but polite:

"A teacher with PhD receives a good salary and there is no need to worry about stability, because I inherited my grandfather's mansion in Westchester. And if we get married, what I intend to do if she says yes, in a near future, and Moira decides she wants to come and live here in Oxford, there is a house I inherited from my maternal grandfather, on the outskirts of the city."

Everyone seemed surprised to learn that the man lived well for a military and teacher. But Moira's surprise was because Charles had spoken of his desire to ask her in marriage. Her eyes widened as she turned her head to face the man, not knowing what to say. She knew he wasn't asking her to marry him right now, but he'd made it clear he would do someday.

She had grown up listening to her grandmother saying that when she was old enough, she would get married and take care of the family and the house, it was the duty of women in that family. But even knowing that, she hadn't been able to imagine herself married, not with Joe, who she had dated for a year.

But when Charles had said that to her father, suddenly the girl could imagine herself marrying that wonderful man, working side by side in their research and sitting at the table together to have dinner, just like they were doing in that moment, and even with a child, a beautiful little boy with his father's eyes and charming smile.

But the idea still scared her a little, because although she'd learned about marriage life, it was still a great unknown to her.

Charles his head turned too, staring at her with such love and kindness, entering in her mind and seeing her uncertainty about marriage life, raising their clasped hands to him and guiding them to his lips, kissing her hand and choosing to use his voice to speak, instead of his mind.

"We still have many years ahead, before we take this step, my Moira." There was no pressure, only his words expressing his desire to be married to her one day and she accepted that, smiling gratefully.

"Who was your grandfather, son?" Kennedy asked interested because Charles had said little about his life in Oxford, interrupting the moment and Charles lowered her hand from his lips, but didn't release it, as he turned to the older man, smiling.

"Lieutenant George F. Williams."

"Oh, George, we were great colleagues during the WW1, I remember he married a nurse who we both liked, Eleanor." And, turning to his wife, he smiled, holding her hand and making the old woman smile, shaking her head. "Which was a good thing because then I would never have met the love of my life."

Everybody was surprised by the revelation, especially Moira, Charles and Ken, learning that their grandfathers had been colleagues.

"You were friends?" Moira asked with interest and Kennedy nodded.

"Ah yes, but after the war ended and he married, where I was his best man, George and Eleanor moved to London and we lost contact, I didn't know he had returned to Oxford until the day he died. A great man."

With the end of the dinner, Kennedy guided Moira, Charles and Raven to the living room where Clarisse handed him an old photo album and the man located the photo he was looking for, showing him when he was young with a newly married couple smiling happily at the camera. George, Eleanor and Kennedy.

Charles, who was behind Moira observing the old photo, pressed his cheek to hers as Moira leaned her back against his chest, both smiling when they saw that they were connected. It was funny to looking at George, Charles' grandfather, who Charles had earned many traces and Eleanor, who with her hair over her shoulders and small mole under her right eye, similar to Moira's.

"Woo, that's... a little scary." Raven concluded and Kennedy laughed.

"Would you like to see some pictures from my travels? I love landscapes."

"I'd love to." Raven said as the two went to the couch and Charles smiled, seeing that Raven seemed to be having fun, even though it was an adult dinner.

"Charles, son, come here for a second, please?" Ken called the man, motioning to his office and Clarisse called Moira to help her with dessert.

Charles entered his office, and the man pointed to two seats instead of the chair of his desk, as he poured himself some whiskey, offering to him but Charles refused politely, because he already had drunk wine, and would be driving Raven home after.

"Son, listen." Ken said, looking at him seriously, but there was something soft in his eyes and Charles decided not to read his mind yet. "It's not that I'm only interested in a rich husband for my daughter and don't want a soldier with her. I care about her, she is my only child and I want to see her happy with a stable life. And the idea of her going to America to study scares me."

"I know and understand, sir." Charles said, honest. "But she won't be alone there. She will be in our house in Westchester and will have enough money for a stable life." In fact, Charles had inherited a lot of money and, with his PhD, would be earning even more. Money had never been a problem.

"You love her a lot, don't you?" The old man asked, as he had observed the couple throughout the whole dinner and the love and determination in Charles's voice every time he defended her side.

"I love her, sir."

"Call me Ken, please. And you approve the idea of her studying genetics?"

"Yes." Charles replied, opening a small smile. "I'm biased because I study this field and, knowing that she likes it, only fills me with joy. But whatever her choice is, I'll be walking by her side if she let me."

Ken smiled, feeling all the love of Charles for his daughter, something he had never felt when he'd talked to Joe in his office and, although he was still reluctant with the idea of his daughter wanting to do career, he started to like Charles.

"Dad." Moira said, interrupting the conversation and entering the office without asking or being called. She approached him and crossed her arms, determined. "I would like to have a voice in this matter, since it's my future we're talking about. Or you two."

They both smiled, knowing that despite being a sweet girl, she was also very independent, a MacTaggert.

"I want to go to Bennington study and I want to be next to Charles, I love him. And I'm asking you because I'd hate to have to leave without your approval dad, it's very important to me, but I also need to do what's the best for me."

Ken sighed, taking a sip of his whiskey before leaving it aside, staring at his daughter and remembering the day she was born and she becoming their life, then when she'd started crawling, her first date with Joe and finally when she'd expressed her desire to go to America. The idea of his daughter leaving home hurt, but he knew it would happen sooner or later, when she get married, and having now known Charles better, Ken knew he was the best person that could exist for Moira.

"Ok."

"Really?" Moira asked, widening her eyes and then, opening a huge smile, looking at Charles, who smiled back and then she turned to her father and hugged him tightly. "Thanks dad..."

"Hey..." He mumbled awkwardly, holding her back and, after a few seconds, they broke and Ken said, turning serious again: "I approve you two dating and you studying in Bennington. But about you living in Westchester, I don't want you two sharing a room. I don't like the idea of you living in a dorm too, you don't know anyone there yet. I know your sister, Raven will be living in Westchester too, Charles, but I want you and Moira in separated rooms because you aren't engaged yet so I don't want anyone talking about you, Moira, living with a boyfriend that way, okay? You are a young woman who was well educated and know what is right."

The couple agreed smiling at each other knowing that despite the terrible war, things between them were working well.

"And I'll pay for it."

With dessert being served, a delicious chocolate pie made by Moira and Clarisse, Charles went with Moira to her bedroom, Ken trusting that the man's intentions were honorable.

Her bedroom was practical and very feminine too, just as its owner and Charles approached her bedside table, seeing the book 'Sense & Sensibility', which she had read to him the other night and they both smiled, remembering that night they had also began to advance a little in their relationship and he passed his fingers over the bed sheets.

Moira was standing near her desk, which was full of books and papers, watching Charles closely, and he left the sheets aside, walking toward her and interlacing their fingers together, resting his other hand on her waist, staring at her chocolate eyes with love.

"I love you, Moira MacTaggert."

"And I you, Charles..." She replied with a huge smile and then he released her hand, raising his hand to nape to bring her in a kiss.

Moira closed her eyes, smiling and then corresponding to the kiss, bringing her hands to his back and parting her lips for him. Charles' massaged her scalp in the kiss's rhythm, first slowly, before becoming more passionate and Moira began to squeeze his back, feeling her body heating up with the kiss, as she fought for control and then released his back, supporting her hands behind her, in the desk, feeling out of breath. One of Charles' hands lowered to the hem of her dress and then, under it, reaching her underclothes, resting his fingers over it.

Moira opened her eyes for a moment, and despite the shyness for being touched there, she felt wonderful with that touch and Charles broke the kiss to look at her better, his face full of love for her and he started to stroke the spot slowly to find out if this was too much at the moment for her.

But seeing her eyes shining, so beautiful, he whispered words of love in her ear and started kissing her again as he moved his fingers over her panties, stroking her center and making her body turn into jelly and one of her hands gripped harder her desk, the other going to his back, until shd felt the small explosion.

"I better go, my Moira." Charles muttered after a while, thinking of how much he loved her and was happy for having the privilege of seeing her that way for a few seconds.

Moira was resting against her desk, with her forehead leaning on Charles' chest, who was stroking her hair, waiting for the rhythm of her heart slow down, and she reflected on what had happened, something magical and which she knew what was, because she had read about it with Kayla on a magazine.

"I still need to drive Raven home before returning to the base."

"Okay." She sighed understanding, seeing that it was late and she would have a shift at the hospital in the morning and the two left her bedroom holding hands, going to find Raven and the MacTaggert, both smiling.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 _Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me  
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded  
Why'd you have to wait, where were you, where were you  
Just a little late, you found me, you found me_

 **The Fray-You found me**

Things seemed to be improving for Charles and Moira, now that they no longer needed to go against Mr. MacTaggert. Even Erik seemed calmer now that he was with Magda, visiting and helping her in the boutique when he wasn't in service.

And despite being overprotective with his sister at the beginning, Charles seemed to accept that his younger sister had been going out with Hank. He knew that the boy was honorable, but his surprise was because Raven had been opening herself more and more with other people.

Logan and Kayla were quite reserved with their relationship, but seeing the way they'd embrace, even in the simplest way, you could see how much they loved each other, despite their different personalities. And even Alex, seemed to have met a girl, although he hadn't presented her to his friends yet and was helping Sean with his shyness.

It was an August night and the group of friends had gone to the cinema again. Alex had finally brought the girl who he'd been seeing, a beautiful girl who had some green highlights on her hair, Lorna, with the couple was Sean and a friend of the girl, a brunette with blue eyes, Kathleen.

With few people in that movie room, Raven was sat very comfortable on her seat, legs stretched over one seat in the front row, her head leaning against Hank, both reading a comic, while the lights hadn't been turned off.

They were reading and chatting and Raven realized how she was beginning to enjoy the simple things again, to have friends and go out with them, instead of always being isolated for fear of what people might think of her, masking it all with a pose. And not only her new friends there accepted her, but Hank, who went through the same problems as her, admired her.

Diverting her attention from the page before her, and touching Hank's han, the boy looked at her and she said:

"You're beautiful, you know it?"

"M-me?" The boy stammered, blushing, and denying. "You're the beautiful one Raven, with or without your 'mask'."

"But you are, Hank, never forget it. And strong, you've been proven it every day at your work."

Hank turned the palm of his hand up, holding hers and the two touched their foreheads, exchanging a kiss, but to feeling Alex turning toward them, they quickly parted.

Alex, though he was happy for his friend, enjoyed playing with him and leaned forward, over Hank's seat, seeing the couple and he said:

"Who knew, Hank Mcoy would finally get a girlfriend!"

"Hey, Alex!" The boy exclaimed, frowning and the other boy smiled as Raven rolled her eyes and Charles admonished them, seeing Hank threw his popcorn at Alex.

"Guys!"

"But it's true!"

Erik, who was talking to Magda next to Logan and Kayla, rolled his eyes at the childlike fight, while his girlfriend laughed, leaning her head on his shoulder and feeling his hand caress her face.

"They don't stop for a minute..." Magda said, still smiling and Erik muttered sarcastically:

"Sometimes I think that Charles runs a day care center and not a rescue group."

"Honestly, I don't know how Lorna withstands your ego, Alex." Raven said, shaking her head and smirking and the blonde, annoyed, threw his popcorn at her, who was sat next to Moira.

Raven, rising to dust her clothes, knocked on Moira's can of soda, knocking it all over Moira's shoe, who took a hand to her forehead as Charles stood up, serious.

"Stop this now, you still might be teenagers, but you guys are military too and need to set an example." The telepath said, as he grabbed napkins and handed it to Moira, who started cleaning her shoes. He wanted the boys take advantage of their time off the base to have fun, but he also didn't want them to behave like children as well.

"Moira, I'm sorry!" Raven said, giving her more napkins, but the girl smiled.

"It's okay Raven, it didn't stain."

"Sorry boss, Hank." Alex said and Charles smiled, accepting it and Hank nodded as the blonde told him: "But really, I'm glad you're with someone."

"Thanks Alex, Raven is different, I like her." Hank said softly, smiling slightly and indicating Lorna, who was talking to Kathleen and Sean. "And I'm glad you and Lorna seem to be getting along too."

"I like her, she's funny..."

"I'll buy more soda." Moira said as Charles handed her the money. "Anybody else want anything?"

"I'll go with you." Kayla said. "I need more popcorn, Logan ate the whole bag and the trailers haven't even started yet."

"Me?" Logan asked, raising an eyebrow at Kayla, who couldn't hold back the smile, as he kissed her.

Logan rested a hand on her waist, but when Kayla broke the kiss, rising to follow Moira, the man didn't release her hand, bringing it to him, ignoring the fact that others might be watching them.

Kayla was taller than him because the man was still sitting, while holding her hand, and then taking the other too, he stroked them and said in a hoarse but low voice, without knowing why he was feeling so anxious:

"Come back quickly, okay?"

"Hey, I'll just buy the popcorn you've eaten, okay?" She joked, eliciting a small smile from the man, they both knew that it was she who always ate all the popcorn and then she smiled softly. "I'll see you before the movie starts, my Wolverine."

"My Moon..." He said for the first time, referring to the legend that she had told him that inspired his nickname. And Kayla leaned forward, placing a peck on his lips, then following Moira, Magda and Alex.

In the popcorn queue, Kayla, Moira, Magda and Alex were at the counter, choosing what they would buy and Magda was choosing a chocolate bar when the friends heard one of the most feared sounds at that time: the evacuation siren that indicated they needed to go to the tunnels.

There was no time to think, because as soon as the siren began to ring, the group found themselves surrounded by people, all fighting and pushing to leave the cinema and find the nearest shelter.

"Where is Erik and the others?" Magda asked worried, trying to look back, but people were pushing them forward.

"They are fine, they should be going to their positions as should we, in the nearest shelter." Moira tried to reassure her, something she had learned in her work at the hospital, but inside, she was agitated, wanting to see Charles and the others, and wanting to know if her parents and grandparents were safe, but she knew that if the bombs started to fall now, they would have little time to get to the nearest shelter.

"Girls, go to the nearest shelter." Alex said as a soldier, trying to guide them in the direction of the tunnel and wanting to make sure they'd be safe before joining the others.

"C'mon." Kayla said, putting herself forward.

While they joined the crowd of people who was entering the tunnel, Moira heard Charles's voice in her head

 _Stay in the shelter, my love._

Moira didn't even have the time to reply or react to his message because several people jostled to enter in the tunnel, pushing her and the girl had to put her hand on the wall for support, to keep from falling. The three reached the center of the tunnel, crowded with people, many dressed in their pajamas, as if they had been getting ready for bed when the siren had ringed and others who had been on the streets. Children were crying, others were shouting desperate, searching for their relatives or friends.

Moira and Kyala guided Magda to a corner, who looked scared, especially for being in danger again, where they sat and Moira turned to Magda and, though she couldn't find the strength to smile, she said gently:

"Magda, hold on, okay? We'll be fine."

"I know, I'm just worried about Erik and the others. But if anyone can survive it out there, it's them." She then took a deep breath, opening her eyes and opening a small smile when then they heard someone nearby calling:

"Is there a doctor or nurse here? I think my wife's broken her arm." Kayla and Moira exchanged glances and then, rising, Kayla asked Magda:

"Magda, see if you can find water and pieces of clothing that can be used as bandages, please."

And the pair of nurses began to do their work, checking people who needed assistance with the help of , and Moira tried to keep her mind closed, not wanting to think of anything at the moment, concentrating on treating the wounded.

They didn't know how much time had passed since they had been evacuated from the cinema, but the silence outside was scaring. Kayla finished bandaging the knee of a young man who had fallen in the confusion, while Moira finished cleaning the cutting on the head of a boy, checking then how much water they still had when then the tunnel lights went down and everybody held their breath.

Moira and Kayla, knowing that it wasn't a good sign, find their hands in the dark, squeezing them tightly.

Charles, Erik, Logan, Hank, Sean and Alex had separated from the other soldiers who were taking care of the tunnels, and were now in the middle of the deserted streets of Oxford, waiting. They had been warned by radio that several Nazi planes were on their way to the city and would arrive in a few minutes and were ready to bomb the city.

Charles had had a hard time sending Raven to one of the shelters, because she had stomp her foot, wanting to help, but the telepath had reminded her that despite being a mutant, she was still his little sister and wasn't military and, despite Alex having ensured him that he had taken Moira and the other to the tunnels, leaving the telepath full of pride at the younger man, he continued to think of Moira, because he couldn't access her mind since he'd sent her that message.

 _Damn it, Moira!_

And now he needed to put his concern for Moira and the others aside when he saw the first plane in the sky. Charles, who was ahead with Erik and Logan, preferring to cover the younger ones, turned to Erik, taking his hand and the other man held it tightly, their eyes showing all the friendship, affection and brotherhood that they felt for each other, knowing that this could be their last mission together and Charles asked:

"You think you can stop most of these bombs?" Erik took a deep breath and then said confidently:

"Of course I can. But I hope you're not planning on letting all the work for me."

"But of course I don't, old friend, the leader also has to play a role here." Charles said, blinking and turning to Logan and the boys.

"Boys, I don't want it to sound like a farewell, I just want to say, I'm very proud to have had you under my command during this year, you guys have become my family and, whatever happens now, we'll be together."

The group looked at Charles with admiration.

"It was a pleasure, Charles." Erik responded with fervor as Hank agreed and Sean and Alex said:

"We will give our best, sir."

"Less talk and more fun." Logan grunted, but the look he gave Charles and the others, even to Erik, told that he felt the same about his new family. "We have a city to protect."

In formation, the group began to stop the attack, Magneto preventing many of the bombs from falling with difficult, while some that had fallen, were destroyed by Sean and Alex, as well as Logan, who received a ride from Hank to climb the buildings and destroy them in the air.

And with that, Charles raised two fingers to his temple, invading the minds of the Nazi pilots, making them back off and changing their route to Germany. It was difficult to control so many minds at once, but he had managed and the group held their breath for a moment, waiting to make sure nothing else would happen.

It was four in the morning when the soldiers began to go to the shelters to give the good news that the city hadn't been bombed. When Charles saw Moira in one of the tunnels with Kayla and Magda, he felt relief to see that she and the others were fine, as he approached.

The other soldiers began to tell people to leave and Moira opened her eyes, feeling her back protesting because of concrete floor and ran a hand through her hair, looking forward and then she saw Charles standing less than five feet from her, covered in dust, face with patches of something black that looked like soot, but he looked fine.

"My God, Charles!" She said his name the way she'd done when he'd been taken to the hospital when the Nazi had him in the leg a month ago. She stood up as Kayla and Magda began to wake up next to her and Moira threw herself in Charles's arms, a sob escaping from her lips.

"Moira..." The couple was hugging each other tightly, while people around them started to celebrate in because nothing had happened.

Charles raised a hand to her head, his fingers tangling in her hair, while pressing her head to his chest, feeling all the adrenaline of what had happened hit him, and the girl had to turn her head to the side so she could breath, but without releasing herself from the hug, his arms around her.

Close to the couple, Magda and Erik exchanged a long hug before the woman broke the hug, a little shaking, as she stared at the man, seeing the soot and a cut on his arm under the shirt he wore, now torn and dirty.

"Does it hurt?" She asked, leaving her fear aside and giving way to the relief and taking his arm in her hand and examining the cut.

Despite not having received training as Moira and Kayla, for living on the farm of her grandfather for years, accidents would happen there so she'd learned the basics.

"I'm fine. It's you who I was worried about." Erik said, lowering his arm, barely feeling the cut as he looked at her bright eyes with love, remembering the fear that he felt, imagining if Magda was panicking because of the attack, since she'd been prisoner of the Nazis.

"With me? Erik, it was you who was out there with those... those things." She said, frowning. "And even though I knew that you would be ok, not knowing what was happening to you was scary."

"You've been with me all the time. In my heart, in my thoughts..." He said softly, as he took her hand and led it to his chest and then to his face, demonstrating what he had said and the woman opened a small smile, stroking his face, before the couple closed the distance and kissed.

Charles was driving, going to take Moira home and then Raven, because he would have to go back to base to wait for new orders. When they arrived in front of the MacTaggert's house, they saw the lights of the front turned on, it was almost five in the morning and then the front door opened and Clarisse and Ken left in a hurry to hear the car, stopping when they saw Charles and Moira coming out, holding hands and walking toward them, their daughter pale and disheveled and the man with his face dirty.

Seeing her parents forward, Moira released Charles' hand and closed the distance between her parents and her, hugging them.

"Moira, my God, we were so scared that something might have happened to you..." Clarisse muttered, hugging her daughter tightly, while Ken closed his arms around the two.

"I'm fine, I went to the shelter." Moira reassured them, relieved to see them well. "And Grandma and Grandpa?"

"We were with them when the siren rang. They are at their house now, a little shaken but ok." Ken reassured her, stroking her hair, before releasing his wife and daughter and walking toward Charles, holding out his hand with a smile of thanks and admiration.

"Thank you for bringing her safe to us, son." Charles shook his hand, reading the man's mind and seeing that he'd begin to think of him as a member of his family and he smiled, touched. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"It'd be good, but I can't. I need to take my sister home and return to the base."

"Then ask if she doesn't want to have breakfast here and rest, we would love to have her here."

Charles smiled gratefully, giving room for Moira and family, while waiting for Raven, sending a telepathic message to her and Clarisse asked her daughter:

"And you dear, will you have breakfast first or would you prefer to sleep a little?"

"Actually, I just came to see how you were and perhaps have some coffee. I'm meeting with Kayla at the hospital soon to see if they need help."

Although the bombs hadn't fallen, what everyone thought, except for Moira and the others knew the true, that had been malfunctioning, many shots had been exchanged in the city and there were reports of wounded, so the head nurse would call them soon.

Charles hugged his sister when she got out and walked toward him. Although she was always acting like she was independent, she was always affectionate with her brother, even when she was fighting with him when he'd treat her like a child.

"Behave yourself, okay?"

"Charles, I'm 17, not 7." She said, rolling her eyes at her brother, who raised an eyebrow, while lightly pushing her toward the house and said in her mind:

 _I know Raven. And I know that you disobeyed me, leaving the shelter, but you saved the lives of two civilians, taking the form of a soldier and shooting at the weapons of the Nazis. I'm proud of you._

 _Hank had left Raven in the shelter under Charles' orders, before joining the other and the girl was in the middle of the crowd of people who was rushing to get into one of the tunnels, although she was angry at being sent to the shelter because she was young, even being a mutant._

 _It was when she was walking down the stairs to go to the tunnel, she saw the planes coming and several soldiers running to their posts. There was still a lot of people to enter and so she did the opposite path, going out and rushing people, but in an organized way for everyone to enter._

 _In the other side of the street, she saw a young couple, the guy with the leg twisted in a strange angle and the girl struggled to make him stand._

 _Looking around, Raven saw that there were no soldiers there, and the door of a helicopter opened with a German soldier pointing his gun toward the last person who was entering the tunnel but missed, because Raven had taken the form of a soldier and was holding a gun too, firing at the hand of the Nazi, hitting his gun._

 _Running across the street, Raven carried the man to the tunnel, placing him on the floor and hastening the girl to help him inside. Grateful for the help they entered the tunnel and Raven stepped forward, gun in hand, watching the Nazi soldier aiming her, but Raven hit the helicopter wing, making the pilot need to make a sharp turn and find a place to land._

 _Thank you, Charles._ Raven said, surprised, turning and looking at her brother, who smiled before she turned and walked to the MacTaggerts.

Charles then went to Moira, who used the sleeve of the blouse she wore to clean some of the soot from his face gently, wanting to see him better and he smiled, his heart warming with her gesture, before he stopped her hand and kiss her lips lightly, stroking them with his lips.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride to the hospital?" He asked and she nodded, smiling.

"I'm, Charles, I'll stay with my parents for a little, at least have some breakfast before I go to the hospital..." He then stroked her face, giving her a last kiss and said:

"I love you, see you later."

"I love you too, Charles." And Moira joined her parents and Raven, watching Charles get in the jeep and leave to the base.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 _I may cry, ruining my makeup_

 _Wash away all the things you've taken_

 _And I don't care if I don't look pretty_

 _Big girls cry_

 _When their hearts are breaking_

 **Sia-Big girls cry**

A day after the Nazi attack, Moira and Kayla were at their lunch break, enjoying the free time they had. That afternoon the two would be on duty because the head nurse, a woman named Ambrosie and Dr. Burt had called the nurses, doctors and volunteers because in a few hours, a troop would come bringing many injured soldiers from a a confrontation that had happened that morning.

Moira and Kayla were lying on the grass, side by side, enjoying the sun that was there in the park, just resting and Raven, who was running away from the pile of books that her mother had sent her to study, after discovering where the girl had been and Charles had had a long talk with Mrs. Xavier, and now the girl was there, under a tree, reading some hair magazines, thinking of changing her hair and doing some experiments there, where only the two nurses could see her.

The nurses were chatting, relaxing for the first time since the bombs and Kayla was telling Moira about last night, where Logan, after ignoring the base curfew, had taken her in a bike ride in the outskirts of the city.

 _The night was pleasant with a light breeze and when Kayla met Logan, outside of her home, she smirked, seeing the man dressed in a leather jacket, next to a motorbike._

 _"Ready?" He asked in that hoarse voice that for many sounded peevish, but Kayla knew it was also full of love for her and the she nodded, approaching him and rising on tiptoe to kiss Logan over his side-whiskers, before kissing him._

 _Logan returned the kiss, before breaking it, taking off his jacket and handing it to Kayla, who wore a sleeveless dress with boots and said with a half smile, watching her put on his jacket:_

 _"Now you are ready."_

 _"Can I drive?" She asked and Logan raised his keys far from her reach, making Kayla put her hands on her hips, pretending to be annoyed._

 _"Do you have a drive license?"_

 _"No, but a few extra classes would help." She replied, winking._

 _The man sighed defeated, though he couldn't hold back the smile, knowing since day one that had no chance against Kayla, and helped her to climb on the bike, giving her instructions before climbing behind her, putting his hands around her waist before she start the engine._

"So, Logan is going with you to Canada?" Moira asked after Kayla told her about what the couple had talked that night, turning her head to the side and staring at her friend.

"Yes, when this war is over or he is dispensed. He wants a quiet life, like me, but I still don't know if I'll live in Canada, my plan first is to visit my grandparents there..." And then the brunette smiled, staring at her friend. "But changing the subject, we need to think about the prom, it'll be in three days."

"Well, I bought my dress in the schools last week." Moira said, smiling at the thought of the dress that was in her closet. "So I can help you to choose yours. What about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." Kayla nodded and the two girls opened a huge smile, before Moira turned to Raven, who was under the tree looking at the tip of her hair, painted in blue and asked:

"Raven, do you already have a dress for the prom?" The metamorphic denied, smiling, concentrating and then letting her hair all blonde again, but shorter, over her shoulders.

"What do you think?" She asked, turning her head to one side and then to the other, analyzing the haircut and the two smiled.

"You look great, Raven." Kayla said, admiring her new look. "But do you know what kind of dress do you want?"

"I think something golden. But does it have to be a long dress?" Raven never liked long dresses, feeling uncomfortable to dance, but Moira laughed.

"It does, Raven. It's a formal occasion." And then, smiling and raising an eyebrow, she asked: "Is it Hank who will take you?"

"Yes." She said, ignoring Moira and Kayla's giggles, but ended up smiling too.

That would be her first ball and she didn't want to admit but she was excited about it and Moira Moira:

"So come with us to choose a dress tomorrow. Magda will come too."

"I can't believe we're finally going the senior prom." Kayla said, smiling beside her friend. "We were what? 14 years old, when we started thinking about the prom."

"And you'd make me practice with you the waltz." Moira replied, rolling her eyes but laughing at the memory of them two in her parent's attic, both with their long nightdresses and arguing to see who would make the female's role in the waltz first.

"Oh my God..." The brunette said, laughing at the memory.

Moira and Kayla had been in the proms committee of the seniors years since they had been freshman, ensuring that the students from the seniors years had a great prom and now, it was the time of the new high school students be responsible for it, for their prom.

"It'll be the best prom ever." Moira said. "Although we're not in this committee."

"But it'll be." Kayla reassured her friend and the two smiled, excited.

Moira then lied back on the grass again, facing the sky and closing her eyes when then she felt Charles's mind and she smiled, feeling her heart race.

 _Moira, good morning, love..._

 _Good morning, Charles. What are you doing?_

 _I'm with the boys, finishing our shift and driving to the base, we'll have physical conditioning training in a bit._ Charles paused and smiled fondly as he stared out of the window, thinking of Moira. _I love you._

 _Love you too. I miss you..._ Moira thought, because last night, they'd talked mentally until one of them would fall asleep first, but that morning, Charles had left in a hurry because of his shift and so he hadn't had time to talk to Moira, preferring to let her sleep a little more instead of waking her up in her mind.

 _What time does your shift end today?_ The man thought, both because he didn't want her to go home alone at night, but also because he want to see her.

 _22pm. Kayla and I will be leaving in a little to go to the hospital. Will I see you?_

 _Even if I had to move mountains, my Moira._

She blushed with his honest words and then thought, with a beautiful smile:

 _I'll look forward to tonight, Charles._

In the afternoon, when Moira and Kayla were at the hospital, the other 5 volunteers, 8 nurses and other 3 doctors were there too, being commanded by Dr. Burt, as several litters came in the hospital with many injured soldiers, severely burned from the bombs, some shot, others without a limb and others with severe injuries in the head of the spine.

Everybody was very busy helping the doctors and one of the nurses who had been in the hospital for a short amount of time had to leave the room for a moment, crying, after having witnessing the status of one of the soldiers, who had lost both legs.

Kayla was helping Nurse Johanna with a soldier who had lost his left leg and arm, and the girl was trying not to lose control of her emotions because of his situation, remaining firm, and she started cleaning the wounds on his right arm, bandaging it then as Johanna then adjusted his medication in the IV.

Kayla then looked to the other side of the infirmary and saw Moira working with the head nurse, a strict but fair woman, Ambrosie, in a soldier who had suffered severe burns on his body and his face was full of shrapnel.

Ambrosie applied an ointment over his burns, after he had been treated by one of the doctors and Moira was concentrated, removing the shrapnel from his face with a clamp, pausing to wipe the sweat from her face with her sleeve and then applied the ointment on his cuts, making the dressing.

And when they finished with him, Kayla, Moira and the others went to the next soldiers, knowing that afternoon had been one of the most challenging of their lives.

Even Kayla, who often was very tough, had to leave the infirmary to take a break, going to the locker room to take deep breaths and focus again. She looked at her wrist, seeing Logan's Dog Tag he'd given her, hidden under her sleeve, because they couldn't wear jewelry there, and she sought strength from it, thinking of Logan and the work he was doing too and then straightened her hair and left the locker room.

The brunette frowned to see Ambrosie calling Moira to a corner, looking very serious and saying something in a low voice, which left Moira somewhat upset, but the girl nodded, as the head nurse gave her instructions. Concerned, she decided to call Charles.

Charles and the others were on the gym that was in the base, doing physical activities, along with other soldiers who also had that time free for physical exercises. While Alex, Sean and Hank were playing basketball with other soldiers of their age, Charles and Erik were working out and Logan had escaped to smoke a cigar outside.

Even with Alex having an athletic body and Hank, with the advantage of his feet, none were a match for Sean, that was physical smaller and faster, so he could jump higher toward the basket and therefore, the three formed a team against three other boys.

"C'mon, the loser team will pay hamburger with fries." Alex said, stretching his arms and then getting ready for the game.

He and the captain of the other team shook hands and when the game started Alex quickly took the ball from the other team, deviating from a big guy d throwing the ball to Hank, who was agile and skillful with the ball, throwing it to Sean who made a spectacular leap, making the first score.

"That's it, Sean!" Alex greeted the boy, patting his back and the boy smiled, saying before focusing on the game again:

"Thanks Alex!"

"C'mon boys, the hamburgers are waiting for us." The blond said, rubbing his hands and Hank rolled his eyes, laughing and getting ready to catch the ball:

"You only think about food and girls."

"You guys will be thanking me for the free food later." Alex muttered, receiving the ball from his friend and then making another score and being greeted by them. "I told you so."

Erik was doing exercises with the weight bar while Charles was doing abdominals beside him, keeping an eye on the boys and chatting with his friend.

"So, are you going out with Nurse MacTaggert today?" Erik asked smirking and although he'd already accepted her, he was accustomed to call Moira like that.

Charles raised an eyebrow and looked at him before returning to his abdominals.

"Now you're a telepath too?"

"Of course not. You are quite predictable, and when you have this look of love on face, it can only mean that you're going to see her."

"In fact, I'll take her to her house tonight, she'll be on duty until 22pm and I asked Carlisle to allow me to accompany her." Seeing Erik smile, Charles opened a small smile, knowing his eyes were shining with all the love he felt for her and then he asked: "What do you say we play chess now? We need to untie the game from last week."

"Untie?" Erik laughed, shaking his head. "As far as I remember, I destroyed you in the game, but I'd love to see you try to win this time."

Both loved to play chess, even if they had to play at midnight, the games were always fun with Charles trying to read Erik's mind and Erik, an expert in chess, trying to block his thoughts.

Erik then returned with his chess board and the two left the physical activities aside, sitting on a table and concentrating on the game.

Twenty minutes passed and the two stared at the chess board between them, Charles from time to time raising his eyes with his fingers on his temple, trying to read Erik's mind and the other man was trying hard not to think about the next move he would do, as he stirred one of his pieces with his powers and knocked down Charles'.

"C'mon, old friend..." Erik said, holding Charles' piece and waiting for the next move.

Soon Alex and the others were gathered around the two, watching the game with interest and making bets until Erik gave checkmate and Charles sighed, although he smiled, congratulating his friend.

Then Carlisle appeared in the gym, and Charles noticed that the captain was heading toward him.

Moira washed her hands in the sink, beside of the last bed from the infirmary 1 where the recent cases stayed, before going to rooms or going home. The bed was surrounded with a curtain to maintaining the privacy of that patient and Moira readjusted her hair that had been loosen that afternoon, over her shoulders, underneath the hat and took a deep breath, before entering.

Nurse Ambrosie had called her when the girl had finished taking care of her last patient and had told her that there was a soldier, Tomas, who was on his deathbed because of a serious injury that the doctors hadn't managed to treat. She had told the girl that they had found amid of his clothes, a picture of a baby and a young woman how looked a lot like Moira, not only because of the hair, cut over the shoulders, but because of the birthmark below the right eye and that Tomas had been crying for the woman whose name was Melinda.

Coming in and sitting on the chair beside the bed, she watched the soldier who must be around Charles' age, 26 or 27. He looked very pale and his chest was all covered with bandaged because of the wound near his heart and lungs, but that had caused serious and irreversible damages to those organs with internal bleeding and his head was also bandaged due to a deep cut.

"Nurse…" The soldier muttered, moving only his eyes and seeing the girl in white sitting beside him and he reached out his hand for her to hold.

"I'm here." Moira said, using her most reassuring smile, shaking her hand. "Do you need anything?"

"I..." He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, looking at Moira with a faraway look, she knew he was delirious. "Melinda, I'm sorry... I couldn't spend time with you or our son, Tommy."

"Hey, it's okay... sh-" Moira paused and then said: "I'm very proud of you."

 _My God, this is too much, it's my duty as a nurse to take care of him, but I can't lie or pretend like that..._ Moira thought, seeing the man looking at her as if he was looking at Melinda and her heart sank and so she concentrated in closing her mind and avoid thinking about these things, just focusing on Tomas, who would never see Melinda and Tommy again.

"But..." He muttered with difficulty, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it before pleading: "Melinda, tell me you still love me, please..." He then coughed, spitting some blood on Moira's face.

The nurse stood up, wiping his mouth and then got up to check the bandages around his chest, touching them and then realizing that the internal bleeding was worse, but there was nothing the doctors could do, she wiped the blood from her hands on dress's apron when then Tomas grabbed her hand again, looking at her sadly.

"Melinda... do you still love me?"

"You know the answer, Tomas..." Moira said, wishing she could somehow help him more, and then came the thud:

"Marry me, Melinda..."

Moira's eyes widened and for a moment as she looked at his face, it was like she was looking at Charles, lying there, his eyes shining as asked her to marry him and the rest of her control was gone, knowing that with Charles in the army, an accident like that could happen to him anytime and she knew that not having the opportunity to say yes to him would be one of her biggest regrets.

"Yes… Yes!" Moira said, both to Tomas as to Charles and then said louder: "A thousand of times yes."

The man smiled, before closing his eyes and Moira stood up, staring at him wide-eyed, before opening the curtain and leaving, her body rigid and her mind on autopilot to avoid the shock.

Charles, who had received the call from Kayla, asking if he could go to the hospital, got in the infirmary easily because of his military ID, because he wasn't wearing his uniform, but the gym's clothes, and when he saw the curtains around the bed and received strict orders from Ambrosie that he couldn't get in, he stood outside, trying to access Moira's mind, but without success, worrying about her and what Kayla had told him about the patient.

Then he heard the Tomas's faint voice asking someone called Melinda in marriage and then he heard Moira's voice saying yes and then he was able to access her mind, seeing that the yes was for him, a reply from that dinner at her house and Charles' heart filled with love and happiness because of her answer, it was his biggest wish to marry her.

The curtains opened and seeing Moira on autopilot, with bloodstains on her face and apron, he left his happiness aside and went toward her while Ambrosie entered with two other nurses and closed the curtains, to take the body.

"Moira... come here." Charles muttered, opening his arms and slowly, she let herself be embraced by Charles.

Kayla indicated the door to the locker room that was there, next to the piano, knowing that Moira would hate to be seen vulnerable, and he led her inside the room, that was some kind of deposit with a sink.

When Charles closed the door, Moira began to cry and he picked her up, realizing that her body was trembling and he sat on the floor with her and she buried her face on his neck, her hands going around his neck while he stroked her hair with his free hand.

"Shhhh... I'm here with you, love." Charles whispered, cleaning her face and then raising it be able to kiss her lips, distracting her and she took a deep breath, controlling the weeping and staring at his blue eyes, which were overflowing with love and concern for her.

"I said yes Charles." She finally said, biting on her lip and staring at him with her eyes full of love, despite her turmoil.

"I know Moira... I've heard it."

"I said yes to you."

"I know..." Charles said touched, as he picked up her right hand with his two hands and she snuggled into his chest and he kissed her hands, saying: "I want you more than anything, my Moira, as my friend, partner, lover and wife, my love."

"Me too, Charles. I want all this with you, I love you." She then admitted: "I was afraid to get married, of the unknown, but if it is with you, I know it'll be wonderful and right."

"Moira... We don't need to get married now, in one or three years." He reassured her, knowing she was too young. "We have the rest of our lives ahead. All I needed was to hear you say yes."

 _And even if you had said no and one day, married another man, as much as it'd hurt, I would be by your side for what you needed._ He thought, but Moira denied it, kissing his lips.

"Charles, I don't want to marry anyone, unless it's you, my love." Playing with her hand on his, she smiled: "In five years?" She suggested, because her dream was to graduate and have a career, now beside the man she loved and Charles agreed, raising her right hand, which would be the engagement ring and ran his fingers over her ring finger and around, kissing it then with affection.

"Five years from now." Charles said, smiling. "Do you want your ring now?"

"You have a ring?" She asked surprised and nodding, but he denied, still smiling.

"I wanted to find out the width of your finger first, love." He said, releasing her hand so that he could stroke her back with one hand, noticing that she had stopped trembling, while with the other he lifted her chin, stroking her lower lip with his thumb, saying:

"Soon you'll have it..." And before he kissed her with love, Moira said:

"I'll love it."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 _I could make you happy, i could make you love me_

 _I could disappear completely, I could be your love song_

 _I could longo gone, I could be a ghost, in your eardrum_

 _When you sleep, will it be with me?_

 **When you sleep-Mary Lambert**

It was 22pm when Moira and Kayla's shift ended. Moira had spent the rest of her shift in silence, following the head nurse's orders, still thinking about the patient who had died at her side. She was standing near the piano that was in the corner of the infirmary, staring at it when then Kayla approached her, already without the apron and hat, and Moira turned to her friend with eyes unfocused, and then Kayla hugged her.

"I should have done more for him, maybe played, who knows..."

"Girl, you did everything you could to comfort him... Don't think about it anymore."

Moira hugged her back and, seeing her arms around Kayla's back, she stared at the ring finger of her right hand, feeling part of her torment leave her, remembering of Charles.

Putting her apron and hat in the bag, staying in the white dress, Moira was at the hospital staircase when she saw Charles, with his back against the post next to the jeep. Seeing her coming out, Charles went to Moira, meeting her at the bottom of the stairs, noting that she still looked pale and took her things with one hand, putting his free arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her hair:

"Ready to go home?"

"Actually..." She began uncertainly, looking at him as he helped her enter in the jeep. "How many free minutes you still have before having to return to the base?"

"I just need to be back at 6am." Moira looked at him, confused and he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I was worried about you, so I asked Carlisle to release me tonight."

The man then walked around the Jeep and entered.

"Charles... You shouldn't have done that." Moira said softly, touching his hand. "But thank you, I love you."

"I love you too." Starting the ignition, Charles smiled and asked, making her laugh: "Where to, ma'am?"

"Anywhere."

It was almost eleven o'clock when they arrived at Charles' house, deciding to stop there to drink something, before Charles would take Moira home. Raven was asleep, but Charles wanted to check on her anyway and smiled to feel her mind in her bedroom, sleeping peacefully.

The man made the tea for them two and when he went to the living room, he found Moira in front of the piano that had belonged to his grandfather, who had taught him how to play at the age of 5.

Depositing the cups on the table, Charles put both hands over Moira's shoulders, sitting her gently on the piano stool and she smiled, before she started playing. Despite her hair creating a curtain around her face, Charles managed to catch a glimpse of her beautiful smile, making his heart melt.

When Moira finished playing, the two sat down to finish the tea on the couch while talking about simple things, like the boy's bet on their chess's game. They still had a few minutes before Moira had to be at home.

"You know, it's funny..." The man began, stroking her knee and she looked at him curiously. "Today was the third time I couldn't read your mind."

"How so?"

"Do you remember when started dating? I told you it was as if your mind had some kind of shield that had prevented me from reading your thoughts the first time we met. Then with the bombs..." He paused, remembering the desperation he'd felt when he hadn't been able to hear her thoughts and Moira stroked his cheek. "For a while I was unable to access your mind until the day we kissed and it happened again in the hospital the moment you went into shock."

"Why do you think this happen?" She asked, closing her eyes for a moment to remember what had happened in the infirmary.

"The human brain is a funny thing... It doesn't look like a mutation, but like a protection from the mutation." He nodded to himself, looking at her curiously. "It may be some kind of shield that you active somehow, we just don't know its extent, but we can find out."

After discussing a bit more, Charles thought they should test the theory another day, as both were exhausted after what had had happened that afternoon and the couple changed the subject, talking about the prom that was coming, Charles was very curious about Moira's dress.

And when they realized, they were exchanging long kisses on the couch. Charles had his back against the couch's arm and one foot on the floor, keeping Moira over him, one hand buried in her hair and the other around her waist.

Moira had Charles' leg between her knees, kissing him with the same passion he showed as her hands rested on his shoulders, feeling a chill run through her body with his hand that was inside her dress, caressing her derriere.

Moira, feeling him become rigid under her, decided to try something she'd wanted, sitting and staring at his blue eyes, dark with desire.

"Charles?" She called him flushed while catching her breath and the man nodded. "I want to try something I've read on a magazine."

And Moira's hands hesitantly went to the zipper of his pants and then got inside, and she felt him react, moaning and getting harder, she became more confident and held his member on her hands, surprise and then determined, moving it up and down. And all that Charles managed to say hoarsely, in the midst of his love and desire for her, before exploding, was:

"Moira love... You've learned that on a magazine?"

The next afternoon Charles had returned from his shift, as well as Moira from hers and the couple was in the man's house, enjoying their time together, because that night they were going to go to the mall because Raven and the others were going to buy their dresses for the prom.

The couple was lying on his bed, where Charles had in hands a copy of 'Sense and Sensibility', the same book that Moira had been reading at home, and now he was reading to her, with the girl lying beside him, listening to his voice.

Moira had both hands under her head, but was on her side, watching him read, with one leg over his. Despite it being one of her favorite books, listening Charles' voice was making her mind go back to that night at the dinner in her house and then, to last night and she blushed. Charles chuckled, putting the book on the nightstand and sitting on the bed to look at Moira, his eyes full of love:

"Moira, my love, I can hear you thinking loud."

"Charles!" She buried her face on her hands and he lowered them in order to caress her cheek.

"What you did last night was fantastic." He told her sincere, making her blush even more, while a small smile appeared on her lips. "Come here, I want to try something."

Pulling her gently into a sitting position, facing him, Moira looked at him curiously and Charles asked:

"In those times I tried to read your mind, the first time we met, in the bombing and at the hospital, what exactly were you thinking, focusing on?"

"I-" Moira paused, trying to remember what had been going through her mind in those moments. "That I needed to keep focused on what was in front of me, so I put in my head that I had to block my mind."

Seeing the man staring at her thoughtfully, she asked:

"Do you really think this is a mental shield, a way of my mind to try to protect itself from mutation?"

"I think yes. We would have to do tests but..." Charles didn't like the idea of his girlfriend, future fiancée, in a laboratory. "We can try something different."

Brightening up, she agreed and he approached Moira, until their faces were a almost touching and he whispered:

"I will try to read your mind, so when I raise my fingers to my temple, I want you to try block me, okay?"

"Okay, let's do it." However, the first attempts weren't successful.

It was hard to concentrate when she was so close to Charles, who was staring at her with his blue and sexy eyes, she was trying hard to block her mind, but even then Charles was able to access her mind.

"Let's take a break, Moira, the last days have been very stressful, it wasn't a good idea because your mind must be tired." Charles suggested twenty minutes later, worried about the idea of exhausting her further, but Moira shook her head looking at him determined.

"No Charles, if it's okay with you, I want to keep trying." Seeing the fire in her eyes, Charles took his free hand to her face, stroking her cheek and realizing what she was trying to do.

"Love, you don't need to prove me anything. I already loved you long before finding out what your mind could do. And I'll still love you regardless of the outcome..." He assured her, depositing a kiss on her lips, and when they parted, Moira opened a small smile, touched by his words and, although she'd never doubted the strength of his love for her, Moira wanted to have this ability.

"I know, and I love you too... But Charles, I want to try again."

Staring at man's face, she furrowed confused to see him laughing softly, shaking his head slightly and then, looking at her fondly.

"Charles?"

"Moira, these last minutes I've been trying to access your mind, sending my thoughts to you and I even tried to make you fall sleep, but nothing happened."

It was then that she saw his fingers, on his temple and she raised her eyebrows, covering her mouth in surprise.

"So my mind had been protecting me during those minutes?"

"Yes... And I think the secret is your force and determination together. I've never considered the possibility that people have this resistance against the mutation gene, in my thesis I only talked about people with the X gene and normal people..." He said, surprised. "It means that your mind will be safe from any mutant who tries to invade your mind without your permission."

"Charles, you'll always be welcome in my mind." Moira said, kissing him and then adding: "Just not to alter it..."

"Never." Charles said, smiling as he dispensed the idea of one day being forced to change her mind. "Moira..."

Charles then pulled her to him, lying with her and they faced each other, while he raised one hand to his cheek and the other resting on the small of her back, staring at the her beautiful and chocolate eyes with so much love that Moira made smile and snuggle into his chest until he touched his lips to hers in a kiss full of passion.

Moira was sitting on a couch in a dress shop, trying on some high heels in different colors, while waiting for the other girls to finish trying their dresses. Magda had bought a sky blue dress and now she was smiling, sitting next to Moira, waiting for Kayla and Raven.

If someone had told her that one month ago that she would be in a dress shop with other girls who had become her friends, while waiting for the man who'd saved her, Magda wouldn't have believed it, having been stuck in a concentration camp, but there she was and she couldn't stop smiling, even though part of her still missed her grandfather and her land.

Moira then touched her hand, smiling and understanding her and Magda returned the grip, feeling her support before they turned their attention to Kayla, who had her back to the mirror, trying to see it on the mirror.

The beautiful dark green dress was tied around the neck, exposing her a huge part of her back, with a black ribbon around the waist. Kayla was fascinated with the choice and the others encouraged her, also admired with the beauty dress that matched with the brunette. Tomorrow afternoon would be the prom.

"Yeah, I think this is dress..." Kayla muttered after turning to the mirror and seeing her reflection on it and Moira made a sign with her thumbs in approval and it was all Kayla needed. Raven, who then left the dressing room, smiled broadly.

"Wow, Kayla, it's perfect!"

"Thanks Raven... Now spin around so we can see yours."

Raven then stepped forward, showing the dress she wore that was golden, with a small v-neck in the front and in the back. She turned around and the girls applauded her as Moira and Magda got up.

"We girls, we're all ready." Moira said, smiling and Kayla asked:

"And did you decide hat shoe you want?"

"Yes." She nodded, raising her hand and showing a pair of black high heels and they went to pay.

After the girls left the store, the boys went to meet them and the group headed to the food court. The group was laughing as enjoying their food and Charles and Moira, who were sitting side by side, with his arm around her, were smiling at each other, happy the way things had been going between them, when then, the something changed in the food court and many people rose from their seats, approaching the small television that was hanging in one of the counters.

The television was showing an elegant man with dark hair, with another man behind him and a blonde woman dressed in white next to his right side and Hitler at his left sight. The man, Shaw, was Hitler's right arm and was doing a pronouncement about the existence of a dangerous race that was able to read people's minds or throw lasers, called mutants and should be contained soon and anyone who was somehow related to them, should be also contained.

The group, shocked, rose from their chairs too, but maintaining a distance from the people who were watching the news. Alex, confused, shook his head:

"But he's a mutant, why is he making this statement?"

"Because he wants to distract us, weaken us." Erik said low, his eyes burning at the man on TV. "He wants to absorb as many powers and he can, and with Hitler taking them to the camps, he'll be able to do it."

"And he's doing it to provoke you." Logan muttered, crossing his arms, while Kayla deposited her hand over his shoulder. "He wants us to go after him and fall into his trap."

"Charles?" Erik called, but when he turned around, he saw the pained expression on his friend's face as he turned to Moira, who was facing him now.

"Charles?" She called him, standing now in front of him, genuinely worried about the horror expression on his face.

Charles's mind was racing. He couldn't read their minds from that distance, but from what Erik had told him, Shaw's plans went far beyond to absorb other mutants, but also, to dominate the world, starting another war where humans would be exterminated.

And the man knew that in the current war, any human related somehow to mutants would have the same fate as the Jews. Thus, the image of Moira being dragged to a concentration camp and suffering invaded his mind and he had to close his eyes tightly for a moment, trying to contain the tears, especially after hearing Moira's voice calling him again, touching his shoulder.

Charles opened his eyes, staring at her chocolate eyes and then lifted a hand touching her face and he reassured her, but inside, he was tormented by her eyes and then approached his lips to hers lips, kissing her.

Moira kissed him and Charles frowned, raising two fingers of his other hand to touch her forehead, cogitating erasing from her mind, the memory of all she knew about the mutants to keep her safe. But he couldn't stand it, so he lowered his hand and Moira, seeing the movement, broke the kiss, staring at him worried:

"Charles, you okay? What were you doing?"

"Moira, I love you." He muttered, touching his forehead to hers and Moira, knowing that with Shaw's statement, things would get complicated for Charles and the others, took his hand, intertwining it with hers in a sign of support and unconditional love and said:

"I love you Charles."

They shared another kiss, this time lighter, before joining the others, where Charles gave orders for them to wait for Carlisle's next orders or from the man in black from OSS, to proceed.

That night, after the boys had return to the base, Carlisle had called them to his office, after his meeting with others sergeants. Entering the office, they stayed in formation and the older man said:

"Rest, boys." When they relaxed a bit, the man ran a hand through his tired face and then, staring at Charles, he said: "Xavier, I imagine you already suspected that I knew about the existence of the mutants." Seeing him nod, he continued: "This is because a small division from OSS, led by the man in black, Millestone, told me about you, shortly after your enlistment. He explained to me that it was important that we had others like you in the army, preferably under your command, in case one day, we needed to fight against another mutant."

"So you already know that Shaw is a mutant?" Charles asked, frowning, choosing to hear it from him, rather than his mind.

"For some time now. We discovered through you, Lenhsherr."

"Me?" The other man asked, frowning at the captain. "How?"

"Because some OSS agents had been infiltrated in the concentration camp you were. They saw the tests that Shaw had done with you and even had a glimpse of his power."

"Wait." Erik said, feeling his blood boil, as he closed his hands into fists. "You mean the OSS was there and saw what they did to my family, but did nothing?" Erik stepped forward, but felt Charles' voice in his mind.

 _Erik my friend, calm down._

 _Charles! Did you hear what he just told me?!_

 _I know, I feel your pain and I understand you, but listen what he has to say before making a decision, please._

Erik took a deep breath, as Charles put a hand on his shoulder, looking at Carlisle.

"Continue, please."

"Erik, the night the OS agents were going to take you and your parents away, it was when then Shaw killed them. There was nothing they could do, even armed, what chance would they have against what he could do?" Charles knew what Shaw could do, having read Erik's mind, he had glimpsed the evil man absorb the power of another mutant that was in the field and release it in the form of energy. "And now, we need the help of all of you to stop him. I'm not asking on behalf of the OSS, but on behalf of the army that is here to save people."

 _You know I'm in, Erik, but I won't force you to do this, any of you._ Charles said in the minds of the others too, but the looks of approval from Alex, Sean and Hank and even Logan's fierce will to stop him had given Charles the answer.

 _We're with you on this, boss, for whatever comes_. Sean and Hank thought loyally.

 _Yeah, you'd need to freeze our minds to leave us out of this._ Alex said, raising an eyebrow, but smiling

Logan just raised his thumb, but in his mind he showed Charles that he was with him because he believed in it and then the telepath turned to Erik, feeling his internal conflict.

 _It hurt a lot that day, when they killed my father and then my mother._ Erik thought, feeling his eyes stung, to remember about a year and a half ago, when he and his parents had been captured. _There was no one by my side and I had been very angry when I joined the army. Until I met you, Charles and you help me and become my best friend and brother._

 _Erik, as I said, I'm not forcing you into anything... I don't want to see you suffer more, so it doesn't matter what you choose, nothing will change between us or our beautiful friendship._ Charles assured him.

 _I know. And although I'm angry at the OSS, at Shaw, you taught me that not everyone is bad. Although Carlisle is with the OSS, he's a good person. Your Moira. Magda... For them, my parents, for you and for our team, I'll help to stop anything that Shaw is planning._

 _Thank you. I'm very proud of who you've became, old friend_.

"Sir, what are our orders?" Charles asked, turning to Carlisle, who walked to his desk where there were several reports.

"American troops infiltrated in Germany detected a large production of missiles and bombs and they are ascertaining who will be the target, but there is a high probability that the target is the United States and therefore Millestone wants you in Washington the day after tomorrow, at morning, for a meeting."

"I'm sorry sir, but shouldn't we leave now then?" Charles asked, and even though he knew that tomorrow afternoon would be the day of the prom, thousands of lives could be in danger, including Moira's.

"Millestone provided you an airplane that Mr. Mcoy had been working before he came to here." Everyone turned to Hank, who was surprised by the news:

"They've managed to finish it?"

"Yes, indeed, it'll be arriving here tomorrow night."

"What airplane?" Alex asked curiously and then Hank explained to them that he'd projected an airplane that could fly at supersonic speed that he'd called Blackbird and with it, they would be in the United States in 3 hours.

"That's incredible Hank!" Charles congratulated him and the boy smiled.

"So the day after tomorrow, 5am, I want you in the airplane to meet with Millestone." Carlisle said. "He wants your help to be prepare for a future attack against the United States."

"And what about England, sir?" Logan asked, frowning.

"Our troops will remain here in Oxford, don't worry, but it seems that Germany is now focusing on America."

"And what do you think of Shaw's statement?" Charles asked.

"We think that it was a way to distract the other nations from an impending attack or worse, a way for him to start another war, against non-mutants."

The team retired, all reflecting about the news and when Charles lied on his bunk, he couldn't sleep, he would be away from Moira for some time and he thought about Shaw's plans.

He loved Moira more than anything and although he had almost broken his promise to never alter her memory that afternoon, he was afraid of what Shaw and his allies could to her. He knew he had to tell her about the trip to the United States.

 _Moira?_

 _Charles?_ She asked surprised, however delighted with the presence of the man, as she turned in bed. _How was the meeting?_

 _Nothing good._ He admitted using his free hand to lift the keychain she had given him, above his head, seeing the glint of the metal reflecting in the dark, wishing he could be beside her at that moment. _We're leaving the day after tomorrow, at morning._

 _Leave? Leave to where, to the United States?_ Moira asked, feeling the panic invade her with the idea of him leaving and then something happen to him, but then, Moira took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

 _We'll have a meeting with the OSS about Shaw and after we settle it, I'll be back, I'll be back for you, my Moira._

 _I just want you to be safe, okay?_ She said, and he nodded. _We should cancel this prom._

 _No, Moira._ Charles hastened to assure her. _Bad things are happening, and at least there is a good thing for you to think about. They boys and I are still going to the prom, because it might be the last time we can relax with the people we love, before we get involved with Shaw_.

 _Ok..._

 _Now rest, my Moira. I love you._ He thought with all his love and she smiled.

 _I love you too, Charles._


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 _1, 2, 3, 4_

 _Kiss me hard before you go_

 _Summertime sadness_

 _I just wanted you to know_

 _That baby, you're the best_

 **Lana Del Rey-Summertime sadness**

Moira was standing in front of the the mirror of her bedroom, admiring herself in her dress. The dress's top was wine, while the long skirt was purple, marking her waist. Her hair had waves in the tip and she was wearing a light and shimmering makeup, making her look even more beautiful.

She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to forget about the war for that afternoon and think about the great time she was going to have with Charles and the others, and when she opened them again, someone knocked on her door and she said:

"Come in." And Charles came in, handsome in his special army uniform, his hair combed to the side and his hat under his arm.

He stopped in surprise at the door. Moira's beauty paralyzed him briefly before he smiled, leaving his hat on her bed and approaching the girl, stopping in front of her when she turned around.

"Moira... You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life... Breathtaking." He said sincere and she blushed, smiling and staring at him.

"You look handsome, Charles, you'll make the girls' heart stop in the prom..." She said before kissing his lips, being almost as the same height as him with her high heels.

When they broke up the kiss, Charles lifted a hand, bringing it to the girl's face, stroking her ear, before pulling her hair away and raising his other hand and then she felt him putting something on her ear.

Surprised, she turned half of her body to look into the mirror and she saw a small and delicate wine earring on her earlobe, before he put the other side on her other earlobe.

"Charles... How did you know about the earrings?"

"Raven." The man said, smiling and turning to caress her face. "I wanted to give you something special for the prom and Raven told me about the earrings that you saw seen at the mall. Did you like it?"

"Of course I liked... But you didn't need to spend money on me Charles." She replied with affection, while they leaned their foreheads, staring at each other.

"Always with people who are important to me..."

They kissed and Charles put his arm around her waist, and the other on her back, holding her close, while Moira's hands went to his face, feeling the smooth shaved skin.

The kiss was full of passion and Charles' hand that was on Moira back lowered, caressing her over the dress, causing chills on her, and she laid a hand on his chest, running her fingers over the golden buttons there until the two separated because it was almost time to leave for the prom.

"Ready?" Charles asked, kissing her lips one last time and then extending his hand with a smile. Moira smiled, fixing her dress and accepting his hand.

"Ready."

The school gym was all decorated in silver, with many tables scattered around the dance floor and loud music, and at the entrance, there wasa photographer taking pictures of all the couples. Despite being afternoon, the students were all excited, some guys who had been from the football team, had a soccer ball with them, playing inside and ignoring the headmaster. Couples were dancing and chatting and others were fleeing to the parking lot, looking for a little privacy.

Although Hank had never been the best dancer from his class, he had a great sync with Raven, who was leading him with the steps and the two were laughing, sometimes exchanging little kisses and Charles watched his sister like a doting father and not brother, because that was her first ball.

Not only Raven and Hank were on dance floor, but also Alex, Lorna, Sean and Kathleen. While Sean and Kathleen preferred the slow dances, so they could hold each other, Alex and Lorna enjoyed the agitated songs.

Now they were playing a slow song at the request of some couples and Erik was dancing with Magda on the dance floor. Just like her, if someone had told him a year ago that he would be there that day, dancing with the love of his life at a school ball, he would have laughed sarcastically, but there he was with his love in his arms.

Magda was beautiful, with her hair tied in an elegant bun, with her light blue dress and smiling for being there with her new friends and Erik and despite having to be apart from him for a while, it could be a week or months, she was having fun.

"You look happy..." Magda said softly, staring at Erik's face, as they danced very close, with his hand around her waist and the other holding hers.

"I'm. I'm here with you, aren't I?" Erik said, raising an eyebrow, but smiling passionately at her and she shook her head, giggling.

"I love you, Erik Lenhsherr." She said, touching her forehead to his and closing her eyes for a moment.

"And I, you." Erik replied, kissing her lips, while they barely moved, on the dance floor, ignoring the song.

"What's wrong, Logan?" Kayla asked, trying not to laugh the next to Logan, who was sat at their table, looking at the glass of soda in his hands, frowning. The couple had returned from the two slow songs they had danced, under Kayla's insistence.

"Nothing..." He muttered, putting the glass on the table and then the brunette put her hand over his knee and he covered her hand with his. "You'll be fine?"

Kayla rolled her eyes for a moment, amused, before slowly, her face softened knowing that although for 19 years of her life, she had lived well without knowing Logan, but now that they knew each other and were in love, staying away from him would hurt, because it was war and nothing was guaranteed.

Turning the palm of her hand up and entwining her fingers with him, she said low:

"I will, even if my heart won't be, but it's necessary." Staring into Logan's eyes, who regarded her with love and admiration, she said: "Here or in Canada, wherever I'll be when you get back, I'll be waiting for you, my Wolverine."

"And I'll come back as fast as I can for you, Kayla." The man said, no one knew how long they would stay in Washington, depending on what would happen at the meeting and, if there would be an attack against the United States.

He then stood up, bringing Kayla with him and kissing her before saying:

"Do you want to dance with me? So far, I've danced with you, now it's your turn to dance with me."

Surprised by the request, she opened a beautiful smile, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately.

Moira and Charles had been dancing all the agitated songs with some of Moira's friends and they were having fun. Charles had always been a good dancer, since his college days, attracting the attention of a lot of girls there, but he only had eyes for Moira, who laughed while dancing, having a great time.

The two then walked toward each other, facing each other, when a romantic song began to be played and the two smiled while Charles took her hand, holding her by the waist with the other, and Moira, supporting one hand over one his shoulders, laid her head on the other, feeling safe and comfortable in his arms.

Charles placed a kiss on her cheek, feeling her delicious scent and guiding them on the dance floor. The sun began to set, creating an even more romantic atmosphere, since there were numerous windows in the gym and Moira continued to smile, listening to the chords of her favorite song, while Charles was spinning then slowly, whispering words of love in her ear.

Moira placed a kiss on his shoulder, raising her head and staring at his blue eyes and he murmured:

"Are you having fun, Moira?" Moira's smile widened, as she bent her head forward closing her eyes and kissing his lips.

"This will answers any questions you may have." She replied, breaking the kiss and the man smiled, touched, kissing her.

Many couples were enjoying the atmosphere of romance caused by the song, including Moira and Charles. The couple was kissing slowly and the girl stroked the hair at his nape, while Charles' hand on her waist caressed her, raising to her back.

He then climbed a hand toward her hair, brushing them to her other shoulder, and he broke the kiss and lowered his lips to her cheek, her ear and then to her earlobe, depositing a kiss over the earring, making her feel a chill, opening her eyes a little to see him.

The man left her ear, and stared at her face, his eyes shining:

"I love you, Moira, you're the most amazing and beautiful woman on the dance and in the whole world." He said sincere, feeling the luckiest man in the universe, to be there with her, feeling her arms then embrace him around him neck and saw her eyes moist, and he wiped the corner of her eye with his thumb, tickling a little and she ended up giggling softly before looking at him passionately.

"You are wonderful Charles, when you look at me or talk like that, I really feel the most beautiful woman in the world, Charles. I love you..."

He then brought her closer to him, kissing her slowly and Moira melted in his arms, corresponding to the kiss and parting her lips for him, who was being demanding and when they broke the kiss, they held each other, moving in the slow rhythm of the song, feeling complete.

At the end of the party, at 8pm, many had already left the ball and some students were sitting at a table playing poker with Alex, Charles and Logan, who had been convinced by the two friends. The game was difficult for the other students, it was Alexis and Logan's favorite game and Charles could read their minds.

With a few people left, it was easier to requests the songs and now, playing some of the hits of the 40s, Moira, Magda and Lorna, who they had found out to be a sophomore, were dancing with some friends.

Erik, who had won the first round, had given his place to Charles because he was going to take Magda to her house and spend some time alone with her before leaving. Charles, not wanting his sister to go home late, had asked Hank to take her and Sean and Kathleen were walking on the campus, next to the parking lot.

That morning, Charles had sat with Raven and talked to her, explaining his situation and the girl had insisted on going with him to US, but Charles had said he was going to a meeting with the OSS and, if they were ordered to move their group from Oxford, Raven would have to go back to boarding school earlier. And although she hadn't liked it, the girl had agreed, before the two hugged each other.

Seeing Moira yawning, after she had left the dance floor and was now sitting at a table massaging her shoulders, Charles dropped his cards on the table, giving them to a boy and said to Alex and Logan:

"See you later at the base." And he walked away, grabbing Moira's coat at the entrance and standing behind the girl, placing it over her shoulders and Moira turned her head and looked at him gratefully, smiling and putting on her coat.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked and she nodded, standing up and Charles put an arm around her shoulders as they walked to the exit, happy with that afternoon.

After arriving at Charles's house, the man checked on his sister, who was in her bedroom and then Charles guided Moira to his bedroom, going to the kitchen to prepare a tea for them.

As Charles and the others would go to the campus at 5 am, Moira decided to stay with the man until the time he had to return to the base, at 23pm. After finishing the tea, they laid on the bed embraced, enjoying the privacy.

Moira had her face and hands resting over Charles's chest, who was only in his white dress shirt now, and he had both arms around her, stroking her gently.

Now and then, Charles would deposit a kiss on her face, her hair, making her sigh and smile and when the two realized, they were kissing and Moira's hands went inside his shirt, stroking his back and lightly scratching it, feeling one of his hand, was on her waist, get inside of her dress, touching her leg and rising, resting it over her breast and caressing one in circles, as he deepened the kiss.

Moira broke the kiss, hugging him and resting her face on his shoulder, trying to catch her breath, feeling the hand that was over her breast lowering slowly to her center and stood there, and Moira opened her eyes digging her face from his shoulder and staring at his blue eyes, dark with desire, which seemed to ask her permission.

Nodding, Charles started kissing her again, as he moved his fingers over her panties, feeling his body on fire in contact with her, feeling her wet, caressing and provoking her center with his fingers, making the girl crazy and then, minutes later, he snuggled her into his arms.

With her face flushed and breathing heavily, Charles had never seen someone so beautiful like the night at her bedroom, and they kissed before resting for a little.

Two hours later, it was almost time for Charles to return to the base and Charles began to dress his army jacket over the white shirt, while Moira sat on the bed, watching him and then walking toward him shyly.

"Moira?"

"Charles, I know that we're going to see each other in a few hours, but this is a private goodbye..."

Then, smiling, she kissed his lips before her hands withdraw his belt and then opened the zipper of his pants, touching his member euth passion and Charles closed his eyes, smiling.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 _And I' am short on words knowing what's occurred_

 _She begins to leave because of me_

 _Her bag is now much heavier_

 _I wish that I could carry her_

 _But this is our ungodly hour_

 **Ungodly hour-The Fray**

It was five o'clock in the morning and the sky was still a little dark, the sun still rising and there was a cold breeze. Charles, Erik Logan, Alex, Hank and Sean were on the campus of Moira's old school, where the Blackbird was parked, and they were all dressed in their uniforms. Raven, Moira and Kayla had gone to say goodbye to them.

"Just be careful, okay Charles?" Raven said, as she hugged her brother tightly and Charles returned the hug before kissing her cheek.

"You know I am. Mrs. MacTaggert asked you to go have lunch at her house while you're here, so behave, okay?"

She rolled her eyes, making him mess her hair before he turned to Moira, who was already dressed to go to the hospital, and walk toward her, hugging her tightly and she kissed him urgently, knowing that they were running out of time and wishing she could stay in his arms forever, safe and loved and seeing him well.

When they parted, Charles took her right hand in his, raising it so she could watch him kiss her ring finger.

"When I return, I will ask you again, with a ring, my Moira."

She knew that he had already bought a ring, because as he had been spending some time at his grandfather's house because of her, she had found a box of jewelry on his desk and she knew it wasn't from the earrings, because of the size and the idea made her heart melt with love, despite of her insecurity of the married life.

"Nothing will make me happier than that, Charles... Go help the United States, my love."

Charles kissed her again, this time quickly, knowing that if he dwelled more, he wouldn't be able to leave.

However, when the boys finished saying their goodbyes, walking to the Blackbird, another aircraft approached, landing at a certain distance from them, surprising everyone, including Charles, who couldn't read the mind of who was aboard.

From inside came Shaw, two men, one clearly mutant with red skin and a tail, and the blonde woman who had been at his side in the TV and that kept a hand on his shoulder and, to their shock, her body then was all covered in some kind of diamond.

Seeing them, Charles motioned for Moira, Raven and Kayla to leave, but it was too late, as the red-skinned man materialized beside them, using the tip of his sharp tail to point at them, threatening them if they dared to move.

"Erik, my boy!" Shaw said as he approached the group, stretching his arms and smiling wickedly. Erik, next to Charles, tensed, however he didn't move, asking coldly:

"What are you doing here, Shaw?"

Beside him, Charles tried to access his mind unobtrusively, but without success and the blonde arched an eyebrow at him, before Shaw turned to the telepath.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Charles Xavier. And it's useless to try to read my mind, Emma here is protecting it from you." Seeing Charles's shock, he explained: "Emma is also a telepath and while she's at my side, you can't access it."

"So why don't you help us and tells us what do you want?" Charles asked coldly, however polite, knowing deep inside that he was there to attack them.

"You see, since Erik's escape, I've been trying to find him and when Emma saw him here in Oxford, she invaded his mind, discovering that you also were a mutant, a very powerful one. Now I've found you, I don't need Hitler anymore. I'll give you the choice to join us in building a new world or I'll absorb all of you. And while we speak, missiles are on the way to an island in Cuba, from where they'll be detonated to reach the United States."

"But the missiles can't be finished!" Alex said, shocked and the other man who was with Shaw laughed:

"The missiles that were being built were just a disguise for any american agent. The true ones have been ready for weeks."

Discreetly, Alex began to move his hands, releasing his lasers toward Shaw, but his bodyguard created a sand cyclone with his own body, throwing Alex away.

"You won't join us?" Shaw asked, still smiling.

And the battle began. Shaw was untouchable, with Emma stuck at his side and then Charles and Erik were busy with the German airplanes that had appeared, dropping bombs on the campus. Hank, with his agility and super strength, was trying to attack Emma, while Logan, Alex and Sean were fighting against Riptide and Azazel. Raven, assuming her true form, went to help Hank.

Emma, with her shield, was almost impossible to be achieved and then, grabbing Hank by the neck, she threw him toward a tree and he lost consciousness, near to where Sean had fallen too. Raven, feeling her blood boil, assume Emma's form and the two began a long battle however, seeing Raven becoming tired, turning into her true form again, the telepath took her down, making her feel pain in her mind.

Kayla and Moira, knowing they needed to leave, took the chance that Azazel was busy fighting against Alex, when then Riptide, with his cyclone threw them away, making Kayla lose her consciousness.

"DAMN!" Logan shouted enraged, throwing himself against Riptide, entering in the cyclone to kill him with his claws, however Azazel materialized behind Logan and rematerializing with him far from the campus and threw him on the ground.

When Charles finished invading all the minds he could from the pilots, preventing them from releasing the bombs, while Erik took care of the ones that had fallen, the telepath crossed the battlefield, running toward Moira, who had Kayla's head over her lap, looking for possible signs of injury.

"Moira..." Charles called desperate, kneeling beside her and seeing that she had a cut on her head, which was bleeding. She then removed her coat, laying Kayla's head over it, on the ground.

He knew he had to do this to keep the love of his life safe so, with tears in his eyes, he forced a smile on his face, raising his hand and touching her face, wiping the blood from it and Moira closed her eyes, feeling his touch, relieved to see that he was all right before he kissed her. She wanted to tell him that for more that she wanted to keep kissing him, he had to help the others, but she just couldn't.

Her mind felt strange and confused and so, opening her eyes, she saw Charles with two fingers on his temple, a tear running down his eye and Moira felt her heart break. Shoving him away from her and shielding her mind, Moira felt her face grow hot with anger and sadness, tears falling:

"Charles... You promised you would never do that!"

"Moira, I didn't want to hurt you..." He pleaded, also with tears in his eyes, but he didn't touch her again. "I wanted to protect you, I'm so-"

"No." She said aloud, turning her face to the other side, unable to face him.

"CHARLES!" Erik shouted, when more bombs began to fall and the man, still crying, took a deep breath and ran to help Erik.

When Moira looked up, noticing that someone was approaching, she saw Shaw, accompanied by Emma, still covered with crystals and Emma looked at her cruelly making her shiver.

"The telepath's girlfriend? What do you think of making her feel a little bit of pain first, my dear?" Shaw suggested, looking at Moira with a smirk and the blonde tilted her head to one side, focusing on the girl, but Moira remembered what Charles had told her about mental powers not being able to affect her if she activated her shield and, despite the pain Charles had caused on her, she managed to do it.

"Emma? What's going on?" Shaw asked, angry, and she shook her head, as angry as he was.

"I don't know." She said through her gritted teeth and Moira stood up and put her hands on her hips. "She was supposed to be writhing in pain, I'm using all my powers, but nothing seems to reach her."

Moira then raised an eyebrow defiantly toward Emma, who looked ready to jump on her because it had never happened before and tried to use her powers again, but the strength she had used, combined with Moira's, who had stretched one hand forward, as if to help her, made Emma be pushed back, making her deactivate her crystal shield for a moment due to exhaustion.

"Try again, telepath blonde." She said wryly.

"Then use your bare hands." Shaw said, staring at her with some curiosity, for having survived Emma's powers and the blonde raised her hand ready to grab her by the neck, when then she felt something touch her ankle and before Emma could cover herself again with her shield, she fell to her knees, unconscious.

"Don't you ever again touch my friends." Kayla murmured, giving a mental command to Emma, to make her sleep for a long time, and, without Emma's shield to protect him, Shaw prepared to fight.

Erik was destroying the last bombs in the air, when Shaw released some of his energy, aiming for Erik, but Logan shielded him, being hit and he fell to the ground.

"CHARLES, HE'S WITHOUT THE SHIELD!" Moira screamed as Kayla got up, running to where Logan had fallen, his body beginning to regenerate.

"YOU IDIOT!" Shaw shouted and Erik, destroying the plane in which Shaw had came, began using its iron cables to hold Shaw and approached him, his eyes burning with hatred, containing the villain, but Shaw shouted: "AZAZEL!"

The red-skinned man appeared behind Charles and Moira and before Charles could read his mind or Logan reach them, Azazel materialized with them in the air, above the school gym and then, dropping them.

Charles, thinking fast, hugged Moira tightly, staying underneath her and receiving the full impact when they passed through the ceiling, which began to fall around them, who were on the floor of the gym now.

Charles cried out when they hit the ceiling, however, on the floor, he no longer felt anything. Moira, who had only hurt her shoulder in the fall and felt her head throbbing, opened her eyes, seeing that she had fallen beside Charles on the gym, and that part of the ceiling had fallen around them, raising dust. Wiping her eyes, she took a better look and saw that Charles had tears in his eyes, gritting his teeth. He had both legs bent at an odd angle, obviously broken and cuts on his arms.

"Charles?" Moira called in panic, touching his face with one hand, the other going to the back of his head, searching for any cut. "Charles, please!"

Charles opened his eyes, tears falling and then he raised a trembling hand to hers, that was on his face and Moira felt some relief when she saw that he could understand her.

"Charles, I know this hurts a lot, but please don't go to sleep..." And then she cried for help: "I NEED HELP!"

"Moira." Charles called, shaking his head and the way he had called her, frightened her. "I don't feel pain. I can't feel anything!"

"What?" But the door near them fell and Logan appeared, running to them.

"Charles?" The man called him, then seeing his legs and Moira hurried him, knowing they hadn't much time, there was a battle happening and also, they had to take Charles to a hospital:

"Logan, help me turn him!"

Moving Charles on his side carefully, not to hurt him more, Logan grabbed his shoulder and waist and Moira tore Charles's jacket and shirt, checking his back and then seeing a bruise over one of his vertebras.

Feeling her eyes filled with tears, she looked at Logan, who closed his eyes for a moment.

"Moira?" Charles called softly and Logan laid him carefully.

"Charles, we can't be sure, there is a bruise, but the lack of pain may be from the shock."

 _I've caused too much pain to the woman I love._ Charles thought bitterly, the tears still falling, sad and thinking about he had tried to do to her mind back in the campus and, what had happened to him now. Taking two fingers to his temple, he told her:

 _I love you, Moira and I'm sorry for trying to erase your memories. But I don't want you to see me like this..._

 _Charles?_ Moira thought with wide eyes while staring at him, feeling the panic returning. _Are you breaking up with me? With a battle happening out there?_

 _The fact that I am a mutant already puts you at risk. And if I've really lost the mobility of my legs... I may never feel the things you make me feel nor be able to satisfy you in the future._

Feeling her face heat with anger, Moira raised her hand and slapped him across the face and Logan looked at her surprised, and before Charles could access her mind, Moira focused on shielding it, feeling her heart break for the second time that morning, as she helped Logan to take Charles outside.

Emma was still asleep, Riptide fallen and Azazel was trying to approach Shaw, but with Alex, Raven and Hank who had recovered, were preventing him. Erik had one of the cables wrapped around the villain's neck, asking:

"Does it hurt?" Shaw refused to answer, trying to free himself in order to release his powers, but the cable tightened harder. "Does it hurt? Because the pain I felt when I lost my parents to you can't even be measured on a scale!"

 _Erik._ Charles called in his mind and the man turned around, seeing Logan carrying Charles, alongside with Moira and he knew something very bad had happened.

 _Charles? What happened to your legs?_

 _Erik, release him._

 _Charles, he's the reason for all this chaos!_

 _I know, my friend. But I don't want his blood on your hands. And I know that Magda wouldn't want it for you too._

 _And what do you intend to do?_

 _Take something that is important to him, so he won't hurt anyone else anymore._

And Erik, understanding what he meant, lowered the cable that was around Shaw's neck as Logan passed his arm under Charles' arm and Erik hurried to take Moira's place, doing the same, leading Charles to Shaw, who laughed as a maniac, while Charles touched the man's temple.

 _"You can erase my mind, but you will never be able to stop the attack on the island of Cuba."_

The group exchanged shocked looks and Charles then concentrated on Shaw's mind. Charles didn't like violence and deaths and didn't want the man's blood on Erik's hands so, knowing that Shaw had to be stopped, he chose another way to do it. He began erasing his memories about the mutants and them his mutation and finally sealed it so he'd never recover his memories.

When he finished, Shaw's head fell forward, unconscious. Riptide and Azazel, knowing that this was the end of Shaw's plans, grabbed Emma and disappeared, while Raven and Hank ran to Charles.

"Charles?" Raven called her brother, covering her mouth to see his condition, before coming closer and touching his face.

"Raven, Alex. We don't have much time, we must prevent the missiles on the island. I need you two to call Carlisle and ask for Millestone to come and arrest Shaw and report what happened here. Logan, I want you to take Kayla and Sean to the hospital. Erik, Hank and I will go to Cuba, to stop the missiles."

"Charles, you need to go to a hospital." Moira said, noting that he hadn't included her and even though she was angry and heartbroken, she still loved him and cared about him.

"We don't have time. Erik alone won't be able to stop all missiles."

"Then I'll go with you." She said, taking a step forward, however she wasn't looking at Charles, but at Erik, who nodded. "Hank needs a co-pilot, Erik and someone needs to be with you back there, checking your wounds, and that someone is me."

And then, as Logan carried Kayla and Raven helped Alex with Sean, to enter the jeep, Hank sat on Blackbird pilot's chair, pressing the buttons and giving Erik, who was sitting beside him, the instructions. And Moira, who had put the security belt, was sitting next to Charles, who was lying face down on the two seats beside her, with his legs immobilized and locked with a security belt too and had his hands in hers.

Their eyes met for a moment, wide chocolates eyes facing the blues one, before Hank took off, making them break the eye contact.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 _We backed each other to the hilt_

 _We backed each other to the hilt_

 _Hated you for leaving me_

 _You were my muse for so long_

 _Now I'm drained creatively_

 _I miss you on my time_

 **To the hilt-BANKS**

Charles blinked several times, seeing that he was in the infirmary of Oxford's military hospital and that there was song being played in the piano. He tried to move but found that both his legs had casts and that he couldn't move them and for a moment he felt the panic invade him, before he started remembering about the previous day. The battle against Shaw, his accident and then... The explosion on the island in Cuba.

Charles remembered Moira and Erik helping him get off the airplane, trying first to convince the Germans to give up on their plan and then, when the first missiles was fired, he and Erik stopped it in the air, doing the same with the others. That had scared the men, who then fled. However, among the missiles, there was a bomb that and it wasn't made of any kind of metal and began to fall not far from where they were.

Moira and Erik had run as fast as they could, carrying Charles and then the last thing he remembered was Erik lifting a metal plate over them while Moira was bent over Charles, protecting his head.

"Charles?" The man looked ahead, seeing Kayla, who looked fine and was wearing her uniform, and Hank.

"Sir, are you okay?" Hank asked concerned and the oldest nodded, still a little confused.

"Kayla, where's Moira and the others? What happened next...? My legs?"

"Take it easy, your doctor will be here soon." Kayla tried to calm him, not wanting him to try to move, but the man insisted:

"And Moira and the others?"

"Raven is with the MacTarggert, I sent her there last night after you returned from Cuba. Alex and Logan are with Carlisle, waiting for Millestone." Hank explained. "After the bomb exploded, I found you three unconscious on the beach and I took you on the Blackbird and brought you here."

"Thank you, Hank."

"Moira and Erik will be fine." Kayla said gently, indicating Charles' left side and he turned his face, seeing Moira in a bed and Erik on his right, both resting.

"Moira only allowed the doctor to treat her after you have been stabilized, and it was at night."

"What happened to them?" The telepath asked, his heart clenching as he stared at the woman he loved and his best friend.

"You three were too close of the explosion, Moira and Erik were more exposed, so the explosion left them with a temporary deafness." Seeing Charles' panicked look, ready to try to leave his bed somehow, Kayla put a hand on his shoulder, preventing him. "They'll be fine, it caused strong headaches on them and besides that, being unable to hear even if it's for a short time is stunning, but soon they will return to normal."

Kayla then smiled solidarity, leaving to check on Sean, who had broken his arm, but was fine and Hank left too, to call the base.

Charles stared at Moira's face again, thinking about how much he had made her suffer in a single day, even if it was for her own good, but analyzing it a little more, he had been a little selfish to make those decisions for her.

"Moira..." He muttered, wishing he could get up and go to her, touch her face, her hair, but his legs were preventing him and he sighed in frustration when then his doctor appeared, smiling.

"Mr. Xavier. First I want to say that we are very grateful for what you did yesterday, preventing the attack on Oxford." Charles, accessing his mind, saw that Carlisle had made it appear that the battle in the campus with the mutants had been a Nazi attack, explaining also how Shaw had been arrested and he relaxed a little and then the doctor looked more serious: "I would now like to talk about your situation."

"Am I paraplegic?"

"No. Nurse MacTaggert expressed her concern about this possibility, saying how much it had upset you." Charles closed his eyes for a moment to think of Moira. "The blow to your spine luckily didn't fracture anything, but it'll be sore for a while. Both your legs were broken and will have to stay in a cast for a month, and then, with two months of physical therapy, they'll as good as they were if you want to continue at the army."

"But why I couldn't feel anything?"

"The shock from the accident made your mind anesthetized your body, preventing you from feeling anything."

Charles released his breath, while his doctor walked away, but then he remembered that not everything was ok. Moira. Then, when Hank approached, Charles asked him:

"Hank, please can you approach Moira's bed to mine?"

Knowing that the infirmary was deserted now, except for the patients, Hank agreed, going to Moira's bed and pushed the bedside table aside, before then, very carefully, he pushed the bed until it was beside Charles', and he left, wanting to give the couple some privacy.

Although Charles couldn't lie on his side because of his legs, he turned his head, staring at Moira's face and being invaded by the love he felt for her, while he regretted what he had done immensely. He raised his hand, touching her face and lowered to her ear, seeing that she was still wearing the earrings he had given her and then noticed that there was dried blood around it.

"Moira... I'm sorry..." He muttered, feeling the tears running down as he stroked her ear. "I love you Moira and I regret making you unhappy..." Lowering his hand and holding hers, the man interlaced their fingers, falling asleep.

That night, when Charles awoke, he looked to his side, to Moira's bed and felt disappointed to see it empty and then he felt that someone was awake too, in his right and he saw that it was Erik who had finished dressing his shirt, as if he had been discharged and Magda was at his side, helping him. Seeing that Charles was awake, Erik, kissed Magda's forehead and walked toward Charles, his face showing relief to see him ok.

"Charles... Welcome back..." The man said in a very loud voice, touching his shoulder and Charles raised his hand, touching his.

"Thanks, old friend." But he saw Erik frown, then indicating his ears and he understood that Erik was still suffering the effects of the explosion.

 _And how are you?_ Charles asked in his mind and Erik smiled.

 _I will be fine. The doctor said that until tomorrow or the next day my hearing will return to normal. I heard that you will also be fine and this makes me happy, I was afraid of losing you there..._ Erik admitted awkwardly and Charles tightened his hold on his hand.

 _We are fine. Erik, I want to thank you for all your support in the battle, you overcame your pain, letting Shaw alive to be punished for his crimes, and saved everyone on the island._

 _It's me who has to thank you. It was you and your kindness that prevented me from having more blood on my hands when it was possible to avoid and you stood by my side during the entire battle._

 _Yeah..._ Seeing Charles' sad face, Erik pulled up a chair and sat beside him.

 _You want to talk about what happened between you and Moira on the campus?_

Charles laughed bitterly, before closing his eyes sad.

 _I've broken her heart, in the worst way. I tried to erase her memory and then I broke up with her for fear of being paraplegic._

 _Charles... Why?_

 _Because she deserves more. She deserves everything. I was afraid that Shaw or even the Nazis would came after her for being with me and then when I could no longer feel my legs... I thought it was the right thing to do. But when I did that, my own heart broke, both from pain as to see her misery._

 _Believe me, old friend, the way she protected you during the explosion and fought with doctors to stay by your side during examination, your situation wouldn't matter to her. She loves you and I admire her independence._ Erik admitted, struggling not to open a small smile for the human that had fought at his side.

 _Where is she?_ Charles asked, looking around.

 _Her mother came to pick her up an hour ago, after being discharged._

Moira was lying on her side on the bed, letting the tears flow down her face as she stared at the wall of her bedroom. For a moment, when she had woken up that morning with in a bed next to Charles', who was holding her hand, she allowed herself to relax before then, she notice the loud buzzing in her ear and looking at Charles' legs, in castes, she realized that all that nightmare had been real.

Crying, she released her hand from Charles', finger by finger, and that had hurt a thousand times more than the pain in her head and ear and when she sat down, looking for her shoes, Erik, who had gotten up to go to bathroom, saw her condition and put a hand on her shoulder, comforting her, before pulling away. Shortly thereafter, she had been discharged and her mother, pale and concerned had came to take her home, hugging her tightly to see that she was ok.

Now Moira was thinking about her life because everything that had seemed right had been left behind at the campus. Feeling the pair of earrings that she still wore, bothering, she sighed, summoning the courage to take them off and then she put them next to the picture frame of Charles as a child and she grabbed it, still lying on bed and stared at the boy, crying more and she couldn't tell if she was being noisy when then Raven appeared at her door, wearing a nightgown.

"Moira?" The girl called her aloud for her to hear and Moira shoved the frame underneath her blanket, gesturing for her to enter.

"Hi Raven..." She knew that the blonde had already seen that she had been crying and so gave up on wiping her face and remained lying under the blanket, but making room for her to sit beside her.

Raven sat down, staring at her friend and now former girlfriend of her brother, wondering how much Charles loved her and how good she was to her brother that now seemed to have hurt her. She had seen it in the battlefield when Charles had tried to erase her memory, and then when he'd ignored her after his accident, avoiding looking at her. Then, Raven said aloud, so she could hear her well:

"You know, when I was little, after I went to live with Charles, I couldn't control my powers yet. I remember that I ended up revealing my true appearance by accident in front of some boys from school. I was 7, Charles was 16. They threw stones at me, and that was the first time I saw Charles angry. He stopped the time around us and erased their memories and then he took me home and took care of my wounds and held me until I fell asleep." Raven paused, remembering about that sad day that hadn't ended so bad, she had spent the rest of the day with her brother, who at the time had been very busy with his studies, and she remembered the affectionate and attentive way he had taken care of her, making her hot chocolate when she would woke up from a nightmare.

Moira, surprised with the story, took Raven's hand, thinking how it must have been difficult for her, as a child, being different and suffer, but at last, having Charles' support and affection.

"For weeks, Charles had slept in my bedroom because every night I'd have nightmares with those kids. Then one night, after I finish drinking the hot chocolate he had made, he lifted his fingers, touching my temple and for a moment, all I could was to look at his face, seeing all his concern for me and then I realized that he wanted to erase those memories from me, but I stopped him."

"For a moment, I felt angry that he had broken his promise to never use his powers on me without permission, but then I realized that all he wanted was to see me well and happy and at then, my anger vanished. He was confused when I said I wanted to stay with the memories and I explained that although it had been a terrible day, I also had good memories from it, like how we had spent the whole day together, playing and talking."

"Moira, Charles is a man of words, and he'd only break a promise like that, and not without being painful, if he wanted to protect you and thought it was the only way."

"I know all that, Raven, he's wonderful, the man I love..." Moira said finally, realizing she knew it, but that disappointment and anger had been out of control at the campus, and she covered her face with her hand, taking a deep breath. "I just don't feel ready to talk to him yet."

And she wasn't. Part of her still felt sad, hurt and angry.

"Moira, I'm not asking you to forgive him, because no matter he had done that thinking of you, it was wrong and you have every right to be angry." Smiling, Raven said gently: "He loves you more than anything and I know that in your heart, you still love him, so I'll ask you that when you feel up to, go talk to him, I don't like to see my friends suffering, but also I don't like to see my brother in pain."

"Thanks Raven and... Thank you for telling me your story." Moira said sincerely, hugging her and Raven hugged her back, happy to tell this story to someone else, aside of her brother.

When Raven left, Moira sink back into her bed, removing from underneath the blanket, the picture frame and she stared at Charles as a kid, and then kissed his forehead, thinking how much she loved him, before trying to find a comfortable position to sleep.

The next afternoon, Moira's mother hadn't want to let her daughter go out, but she had managed to and when she reached the hospital staircase, she took a deep breath, then going to speak to the head nurse, who was reluctant to let her return back so soon to work, but they agreed for Moira to return the next week because her ears were still fragile and buzzing a little.

Moira then entered the infirmary, seeing that Sean also had been discharged and then she saw Charles's bed, where the telepath was sleeping in an uncomfortable position, belly up. Beside the bed, there was a bouquet of flowers from her mother, that they had bough that morning, after Clarisse had asked her daughter what kind of flower he liked and also, another one from his sister, a box of candy, probably from the boys and a chessboard, from Eric.

With her heart in her mouth, she approached Charles, not knowing how to act and so she sat beside his bed, watching both his legs in cast and she remembering about the relief she felt when the doctor had said that his spinal hadn't suffered any damage.

But other damage had been caused and Moira didn't know how to fix them, didn't know if a conversation would fix. He had broken up with her because of the accident, but what if something like that happened again, who would ensure that he wouldn't break up with her again? Her heart was strong but wouldn't survive a second time.

Slowly, Moira raised her hand, running her fingers over Charles's leg and then up and she took his hand and held it with both hands, as she watched him sleep. His face, despite the dark circles under his eyes, seemed serene, different from the first night when he'd been taken to the hospital, suffering for not feeling anything below his waist, anguished.

"Charles..."

She wanted to play the piano for him, but even knowing the notes, with the buzz in her ear, it'd be difficult, the doctor had told her it would disappear in a couple of days and her hearing would be perfect again. Moira placed a kiss on his hand and, despite her sadness, being next to him made her be invaded by the wave of love she felt for him.

Charles' eyelids started trembling and then he opened his eyes, surprised to see that Moira was there, and in spite of how it all had ended on the campus, he opened a small smile, staring at the chocolate eyes that behind the sadness, still showed the love she felt for him.

"Moira..." It was the first time she had seen him awake in two days and her eyes filled with tears. Seeing him try to straighten his back on the bed to see her better, Moira rushed to push him gently by the shoulder to continue lying.

"It's not good for you to move a lot, wait here I'll get you a glass of water." She could be in medical leave yet, but she would take care of him.

Helping him to drink the water, she placed the glass on the table and Charles raised his hand to brush away a lock of hair from her forehead and Moira felt like she was back in the campus again, when he had tried to erase her memories and she turned her face to the side, biting her lip.

But then, seeing the look of understanding and regretting on his face, Moira felt her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry..." She said aloud, covering her face and Charles thought:

 _Moira, don't, it's me who should be apologizing. Moira, I know what I did was wrong, but I thought I was protecting you, I never meant to hurt you. What I want it is to continue at your side, loving you..._

 _Charles I... I want to stay with you, but I'm afraid of you leaving me aside again, if something bad happens again._ The tears kept falling, but Charles couldn't reach her face, and felt distressed.

 _Moira... I won't..._

 _Charles, get well. And then we'll talk._ Squeezing his hand, she stood up and began to walk away when he said aloud for her to hear:

"Moira, I love you more than life itself."

"I know." She said, taking a deep breath and looking at him and saying with a small smile before leaving: "I love you more than anything in this world, even if I'm still angry with you."

And when she left the infirmary, he knew what he had to do. Seeing Erik entering from the door Moira had just left, he called his friend urgently, while groping under his pillow.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 _But this is how the story ends_

 _Or have we just begun_

 _To kiss away the differences_

 **Where the story ends-The Fray**

Moira was standing in front of the hospital crosswalk, waiting for the traffic light to change, and when she was almost in the other side of the street, something strange happened and she turned around in surprise. Everything around her had stopped, the people who were in their cars and even those who had been walking in the street and then she saw Charles in a wheelchair, on the hospital ramp with Erik's help, coming to her.

Widening her eyes in concern as he crossed the crosswalk, she said:

"Charles, you shouldn't be moving around, you need to rest, I don't want you to get hurt!"

"And I don't want to hurt you Moira ever again." He said gently, stopping in front of her as the girl put her hands on the handlebars of the wheelchair and began to guide him on the crosswalk to take him to the hospital range, worried about his legs, but she stopped in the middle of the crosswalk with wide eyes, both because he had locked the wheels of the chair, as because of his words and she released the chair to face him.

"I know I had no right, but I was afraid that the Nazis or Shaw would try to do something against you because of me and then when I thought I would no longer feel my legs, I panicked, thinking about how much you deserve to be happy. You deserved it, and that perhaps I wouldn't be able to give you everything."

"Charles, none of that mattered, I just wanted you. Being apart from you that hurts..." She said touched, before biting her lip. "But you're saying this because you can walk?"

"No, I realized my mistake the minute we stopped talking to each other on campus. Moira, I love you and I want you back. But if you... if you want to move on, I'll respect it." Charles said, struggling for his voice to sound loud, as he felt his heart clench with the idea of never having her in his arms again.

"I'm still mad at what happened. But Charles, I don't want to stay away from you, because the pain is almost unbearable, I love you." And, without caring, she knelt on the crosswalk to be able to stay at the same height as him, resting her forehead on his knee and feeling her heart lighter.

"You deserve to be loved, my Moira, you deserve everything." Charles said touched, caressing her cheek and then he took a deep breath and said: "Moira, look at me."

When she looked up, she saw that he was serious, his blue eyes shining, while withdrawing from his coat pocket, a little box and her heart started beating as fast as his as he spoke the words he had been wanting to say:

"What I'm about to do, Moira, isn't only a proof of all the love I feel for you, but also a promise that we will be together in health and in sickness..." And then he took a breath deep, feeling that this was the most serious moment of his life and opened the box, asking with his voice filled with love: "Moira MacTaggert, the love of my life, will you marry me?"

Inside the box, there was a simple, however elegant ring, with a small diamond on top. That ring Charles had bought a few days after finding out her finger size and since then it had been with him, just waiting for the right time to ask her in marriage.

Moira felt the tears start to fall again, as she looked at Charles' blue eyes, that were full of love, however nervous.

"If another man had done that, I probably wouldn't accept..." She said crying and Charles leaned forward, wiping her tears, not wanting to see her sad and suffering because of him, he wanted her to be happy. "But I believe you, you're good, Charles, a good man, the love of my life and so I say yes."

She accepted, opening a beautiful smile and extending her right hand to him, touched. Slowly Charles placed the ring on her finger, feeling his eyes fill with tears, but happy tears, seeing the ring fitting perfectly in her finger and then he kissed her hand.

Using the strength of his arms, Charles made Moira stood up, pulling her onto his lap and then she protested, avoiding putting her weight over his cast:

"Charles, I'll end up hurting you!"

"You won't." He assured her, accommodating her so that her weight wouldn't be over his cast, approaching her to his chest, her legs supported over the armrest.

He then wiped away her tears, staring at her chocolate eyes, that although they were a little red, they were full of love and then, with one hand around her waist and the other on her cheek, slowly he approached his face to hers, and this would their first kiss since the incident on the campus.

When his lips kissed her, Moira looked into his blue eyes, realizing how much that seemed right, as she began to respond, regardless of being in the street, even if everyone was freeze in time.

The kiss began gently, Charles's lips just touching hers several times slowly, before starting to move his lips over hers and Moira, who was stroking his hair, pressed her lips to his with more force before the kissed become more passionate.

When they finally broke the kiss, their eyes were shining and Moira said, giggling:

"I can't believe you froze the entire street..."

"The timing seemed right." He explained with a mischievous smile, raising his hand to caress her face and then her ear and he asked worriedly: "How's your hearing?"

"It'll be fine, the doctor examined me today, he said that by tomorrow the buzz will be gone and my hearing will be as good as new." And then she kissed him again, saying passionately: "I love you Charles Xavier."

"And I, you, my Moira. Mrs. Xavier."


	19. Chapter 19

**Epilogue**

 _I will love you until the world stops turning_

 _And ever after when it comes_

 _And all the days between I left for learning_

 _What this life's about_

 _So I'll love you till the world stops turning around_

 **Till the World stops turning-Kaleb Jones**

Five years had passed since the battle against Shaw and the WW2 was over and, at Millestone's request, Charles and the others had been dismissed for having fulfilled their mission after Cuba and rescue group had celebrated, honoring Charles for all he had done for them, steadying even more the bond formed between them.

Logan and Kyla had gone to Canada, where the woman was visiting her grandparents and now teaching at a primary school and Logan, wanting a quiet life, working as a lumberjack and had asked her hand in marriage.

Erik and Magda had moved to a small town near Charles' mansion, and with the end of the war, the two had married and gone to Poland to visit the woman's family, and although Charles had invited them to live in the mansion, they had wanted a house of their own, but they were at the mansion every day, helping Charles with the new school for mutants and Erik was there not only because he had become a instructor at the school, but because he and Charles enjoying their chess games.

Alex, Sean and Hank had moved into the mansion also one month after the battle against Shaw, as Charles' first students and they now worked in the school for young gifted youngsters, with a large number of students. Sean was working as an instructor and Alex as a teacher. Alex still exchanged letters with Lorna, who had finished college in Oxford, and was preparing to visit her boyfriend on holidays.

Hank had become an engineer, building machines that could help them, as an improved version of the Blackbird and a machine called Cerebro in partnership with Charles, to be used by the telepath to find other mutants at a great distance. Raven had returned to the boarding school to finish her last year and now lived with her brother and like Sean, she was an instructor too, being very admired by the students, for her confidence.

Moira opened her eyes, feeling the sunlight and stretched, feeling her muscles protest and she looked around for a moment, looking at the bedroom where she was.

It was then that she saw Charles entering the bedroom, his hair wavy, wearing a bathrobe and carrying a cup of coffee and a glass of water, smiling.

"Charles..."

"Good morning, Mrs. Xavier..." He said, leaving the cup of coffee over the nightstand and sitting on the bed beside her, placing a kiss on her forehead tenderly, staring at the beautiful figure at his side, her body flushed and her chocolates eyes shining. "How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful..." She replied smiling, happy to hear him call her by her other and new surname, as she sat on the bed letting the sheets fall, revealing her body to Charles, who had spent last night kissing it and she felt her heart fill with love for him.

"You're wonderful." Charles said passionately, remembering the night before which had been beautiful, after their wedding and now, they were officially husband and wife.

She then took a sip of her coffee, sighing at the taste of cream and sugar that Charles always add to it, as he left his empty glass aside, settling on the bed, behind her, massaging her shoulders and then her thighs with his long and strong fingers, helping her muscles that were sore from last night, making her blush.

After the marriage proposal, Mr. MacTaggert had gone to the hospital to see Charles, giving his approval and a week later, the couple had left to the United States, settling in the mansion.

Moira had helped Charles during the month that he had been in the wheelchair, taking care of him and showing all her love, leaving him even more touched by her.

For four years, Moira had attended Bennington and had graduated, under Charles' guidance, who was expert and had created the theme and now she was doing her major in mutation and mental shields that only 1% of the human population had, being invited to give lectures in college while Charles had been running his school, which had began to grow more and more and Moira wanted to open a research center there in the school to help the mutants.

And in the beginning, even if they would barely see each other in the mornings because she would be at the college and he, teaching classes or doing lectures in the city, they would always be together in the afternoons, spending the rest of the time together talking about their research, about their day, roaming in the gardens of the mansion or they would just hold each other, reading a book or kissing and both were happy.

But now, Charles would have the privilege of waking up next to this woman every day, feeling a huge happiness and love for her that kept growing, confirming what he'd suspected when they had met each other, that she was his soul mate, feeling that last night too, as if something warm covered with love had touched them when they had become one.

Moira looked at the man, feeling the same and smiling, thinking about how things had ended well after the disaster left by the battle against Shaw and how much she loved him.

"I love you..." She whispered, leaving the cup on the table while he sat beside her again and she leaned forward, resting her forehead on his.

Charles raised a hand, stroking her hair, then her shoulder until he was touching her bare waist, caressing her sensually, saying with love:

"I love you too, my Moira." Charles replied, his lips lowering to hers and kissing her.

Moira was happy in a way that she thought wasn't possible, the feeling for him was too strong and her eyes sparkled with love.

Charles rested his other hand on her back, stroking her soft and bare skin and lowering more until he was touching her derriere, making his wife sigh and raise a hand to his chest, under his robe that was open in the front, feeling his heart and twining her fingers in the hair that had there as he deepened the kiss and she massaged his chest, scratching then him then.

Charles' tongue touched her lips, tasting coffee and her and Moira parted them, both starting a battle with their tongues for dominance, as their hands explored each other, recalling the spots that could make the other sigh of pleasure and discovering new ones and he caressed her right breast and then the left, provoking and pinching her nipple lightly.

Laying her gently on the bed and breaking the kiss to be able to face her chocolate eyes, he smiled with love, keeping one hand on her waist and slipped it to her bare leg and hooking it around his waist where the robe was beginning to open, stroking her and raising his other hand to hers, intertwining them, seeing their rings.

"How much time do we have before lunch?" She asked, her eyes shining with desire and love, while her other hand was inside of his robe on his chest, then his belly and she lowered more and he laughed.

After their wedding, that had happened in the city where Erik and Magda had been living and that had been only for friends and family and some of the school students, the couple would have a lunch with their parents that morning, before leaving on a honeymoon to France.

The wedding had been beautiful, with the church full of flowers and Erik had been the best man, along with the maid of honor, Kayla, who had came with her husband to the wedding. Moira and Charles would never forget the moment their eyes had meet in the church, her, shining from beneath the veil, seeing Charles on his white smoking, smiling passionately at her and his eyes fixed on the figure in a white dress, walking toward his outstretched hand, guided by Ken MacTaggert.

 _Charles was dressed in his white tuxedo next to Erik and Raven, feeling anxious, but he smiled at that big day, staring at the colorful window glass, concentrating._

 _The church was all decorated in white satin and flowers, and their friends, family, and some students of the Xavier School were there. The first benches were Clarisse and her sister's family, Moira's grandparents, mother and stepfather of Charles, Magda, Sean, Hank, Alex, Logan, Carlisle, friends from Moira's college and Charles's colleagues._

 _Erik, feeling the nervousness of Charles, put a hand under his shoulder, calming him._

 _"Thanks, Erik." Charles said, looking at his friend, before looking at the door and seeing Kayla entering in a light green dress and seconds later, the telepath's heart stopped as he saw Moira enter, next to her father._

 _The white dress that had been commissioned by Clarisse and her mother-in-law in France, was elegant and beautiful, glued to the body to the waist and then releasing at her tighs, with two layersif fabric. Her face, though with a veil, had a light and delicate make-up, and her hair was tied in an elegant bun, and Charles felt the luckiest man in the world, smiling, his blue eyes shining with emotion._

 _Moira, despite being nervous, smiled, seeing Charles at the altar, smiling passionately and Moira could feel the perfection of the moment, while her father kissed her forehead and Charles extended his hand to her, who held it and the two faced each other with love, knowing that the moment had come, before turning to the priest._

 _"Charles F Xavier, do you accept Moira J Mactaggert as your rightful wife in God's eyes and promise to love her and respect her in health and sickness, in joy and in sorrow?"_

 _"I do." Charles said confidently, feeling his heart swollen with the love he felt for Moira, who sniffled, excited, as Charles put the ring on her finger._

 _"And you, Moira J Mactaggert, accept Charles F Xavier as your rightful husband in the eyes of God and promise to love him and respect him in health and sickness, in joy and in sorrow?"_

 _"I do" Moira said in a steady voice, before sniffing again, feeling all her body calling for Charles, putting the wedding ring on him and the priest said, smiling:_

 _"Now you are husband and wife. You can kiss."_

 _"Here we are." Charles said in a low voice, smiling and lifting Moira's veil, stroking her flushed cheek and she smiled._

 _"Where we were meant to be... I love you."_

 _"I love you too, my love, my life."_

 _And Moira raised her face further, while Charles leaned a little and they kissed passionately, while one hand of Charles kept the veil away and the other, stroked the rosy cheek, deepening the kiss and Moira took the arms around the neck wwhile everyone applauded and a romanica song was played._

"Enough for us to go slowly, my Moira..." He whispered in her ear affectionately.

He then whispered words of love, caressing her center firm but gently, causing shivers in Moira, who squeezed her hand to his, saying passionately as Charles took his member to her center, letting her guide the rhythm and she held it, pumping him and guiding to her entrance:

"So let's take advantage of it, Mr. Xavier."

 **The End**


End file.
